Darker than Death: Puppy Mill
by Naty17
Summary: Some say it is impossible to be forced to love. I disagree. We can't help but lie, and we can't help but trick. Why not lie, if it can bring in so many benefits? We've all done it, after all- perhaps mine have just been a little more... risky. But I only missed the prize by an inch. I came closer than any other could have at the Terra Perfectionis. And I do not regret a thing.
1. Prologue

**Puppy Mill**

_Hello, there, everyone!_

_This is Naty17, here, with the long awaited first chapter of _**Darker than Death; Puppy Mill**_! Yay!_

_This is going to be a fun story, I think. :3 It's rated M, so... ^/^ We'll see how brave I feel. But considering what the story is mainly about (I mean, look, the story is called Puppy Mill! That's _**gotta**_mean _**something**_!), I've decided to set it at M. Not much of a decision, actually... it was pretty obvious a choice._

_Anyway, I'm planning on having looooooooads of fun with this~! It's all centered around lies; the walls looming around them are built in lies, the people who rule over them only tell lies, and they themselves have learned to always tell lies._

_In this story, people are judged by appearance, not by personality, so even the baddest apple can stay. I thought it'd be fun to write from the bad guy's point of view, for once. :)_

_In this story, so many are selfish, many are determined, and some can be dangerous. Even the most innocent person you could know there turns out to be a scheming demon, and the one you're paired with may not be the one you truly love._

_You are a puppet, and if anyone desires so, they will play with your strings._

_Beware... the world outside your door._

_Because some things are darker than even death. This is one of them._

_Enjoy your visit to this puppy mill. Be careful not to die while you're there._

* * *

**Chapter 1 - Prologue**

* * *

_How do you live a life without love?_

Some say it's impossible; it's impossible to not go insane without it, and it's impossible to not feel anything for anyone.

I guess I could say I agree with that.

Some also say it is impossible to be forced to love.

Now that is a saying I disagree with whole-heartedly.

After all, if it had been me instead of Miku, Len would have loved me even more than he's been fooled to think he loves her.

And that is a fact.

It may be impossible to function without love- for some people -but it isn't impossible to fool people into falling in love.

Miku's done it. Dell and the council have done it. Hell, I've done it!

We can't help but lie, and we can't help but trick. Why not lie, if it can bring in so many benefits?

But here's what you have to watch out for: a lie is like a stitch in a dress; you have to spin it out carefully, because if the strings get tangled, if you make one single mistake, you have to pull it all out and start all over again.

And here's the thing: You can't start over in life.

I figured out the trick with the lies a little too late. But do I regret any of the lies I told? No. None at all. ... Or perhaps some. Yes, _maybe_ one or two, I regret... But that doesn't mean anything.

What I did was genius. It was a nearly flawless plan, but with a very thin edge to walk on to the other side.

But then, the string to my tightrope snapped.

One misplaced lie caused the whole cliff to crumble, and I was buried under its heavy boulders.

But I don't regret having tried.

I never will.

I may be crazy, literally mentally insane, but I think the thrill was worth it. The prize was missed by an inch, but things had gone better than I'd planned.

And no matter how you view it, I'd beaten Miku in a game that not even SHE knew she was playing.

In fact, I kicked her ass.

But this is probably far too confusing for you to understand, isn't it?

It'll all make perfect sense to you sooner or later, I'm sure... Every piece of the complex puzzle that is my life shall fall into place, revealing... well... I don't know, exactly.

Perhaps to one person, it will show the most disgusting, horrible thing she could ever imagine. Perhaps to another, it will show a regular bitch, no greater than any other.

And perhaps to you, it will show your own reflection, dark and sinister, staring back at you from the glass of the mirror.

Whatever the case, I suggest you take my advice.

Because maybe you'll be able to achieve a better success than I have. Perhaps, using my carefully constructed plan, you will manage to get everything you deserve.

But first... you'd have to find your way into the Terra Perfectionis.

And... you probably wouldn't want to be there anyway. At least, not if you're infatuated with the idea of love.

In fact... I never asked to be brought there. I just was.

It all happened one dark, cool night...

* * *

"Momma?"

A little girl stood in a dark, dirty alley, barefoot, and trembling with both cold and fear.

It looked so much like a scene from a horror movie; any innocent bystander would have been searching for the cameras.

"Momma?" she shouted again, the pitch of her voice rising, as her panic escaladed.

_'If you come back, and I'm not home, I need you to run, okay?' _She remembered those words... _'Run, and don't look back! Find people and ask for help- it's too dangerous to live here by yourself, especially if there's danger near!'_

But she couldn't run. She couldn't leave without at least searching for her guardian, the woman who'd brought her to life.

"Mommy, please...!" she begged to no one.

The wind picked up, freezing her bare arms, her white sundress doing little to protect her.

Her own short, pale blond hair whipped against her face, stinging her cheeks, and getting caught in her eye.

And, still, she grit her teeth like she would any other night.

"Mommy...!" She let out a choked sob.

She had no idea who had taken the woman- all she knew was that her mother wasn't at their meeting place, at the alley with the yellow chalk star drawn on its back wall.

Momma wasn't home yet.

And mommy was **always** back on time.

"Mommy!"

The young girl was in hysterics now. Her sobs echoed through the silence of the night, as crumbled pieces of paper flew around the cold cement she stood on.

_'Run! You have to run!'_

She heard her mother's familiar voice yell the words inside her head, and couldn't help but gasp, and try to cling on it.

It was like how an average kid might struggle with his iPod: Rin desperately tried to put that voice on repeat, because it could possibly be the last time she ever heard her mother.

Even if it _was _just a memory.

Suddenly, she heard a voice, a low murmur. Then footsteps.

"Momma?"

She tiptoed closer to the sounds, keeping to the shadows, trying to catch a better look.

Then, she heard a scratchy sound, and a distant voice. It sounded distorted, as if it were coming from... a walkie-talkie.

_'There are bad people who come through here at night, Rinny. These people could try to steal you, or hurt you... or worse.'_

The first voice - a man, the young girl concluded - spoke his answer in the device, and the footsteps sounded once again.

_'When I'm with you, I protect you from danger. Without me, though, they'll take you, and do terrible things to you. That's why you need to run to the main part of town, where there are people- so they can't get you.'_

'But they might have you...' the girl thought, her brows creasing upward.

Closer and closer, she moved towards the footsteps, following him, trying to catch what was being said in the walkie-talkie.

Suddenly, there was a blood-curling scream that made the little girl freeze.

"Mommy...!"

The footsteps stopped. Then, the beep of the walkie-talkie. "Look, I know you want your fun 'n all, but at least try to gag her. We might get visitors..."

Silence again, then the scratchiness returned, as the other man answered, "God forbid."

There were strange noises coming from the second man's end... Grunts, sobs, swears, moans, more curses, threats...

And most of these signs of verbal hatred were spoken in her mother's voice.

"Mommy!" the little girl sobbed once more.

The air went completely silent just then.

For just a minute, the wind died down, the walkie-talkie didn't beep, and the alley was deadly silent.

"I think I heard someone..." the first man told the other. "A little girl, I think."

The device beeped again, and Rin heard her mother scream her name, in a way that sent shivers up her spine.

"Perfect; maybe we'll be able to sell her to Dell."

The first one chuckled. "Only if she's pretty. And we both know he's picky."

'Only if she's pretty...?'

More strange noises from the other end of the transmitter, before finally, a breathless reply came. "Well... what are you... waiting for? If not... Dell... we can… alwa- always sell her to... someone else."

Rin had a feeling this was important, but she couldn't concentrate on the words and their meaning; she was too shocked and fixed on the sound of her mother sobbing.

"Fine, fine, I get it." The first man chuckled again.

"And first, we need to... Ugh! We need to... make sure you're not delusiona- Ah!"

"Oh god!" The first man laughed. "I really didn't need to hear that...!"

Another scream, muffled this time. Rin let out a whimper.

"... I think I just heard her again. I'm goin' after her now."

It took a little longer this time before the man got a reply. "S'bout time."

It was then that Rin realized she should run.

Not caring anymore of the noise her steps made, she turned on her heel, and sprinted down the alley.

Having lived here all her life, she knew which way would be shortest to get to the train tracks. And beyond the train tracks was the city, where she'd be safe.

'Or, at least, safer.'

It wasn't long before she heard heavier footsteps gaining speed behind her.

Her terror peaked, and for the first time, she truly believed she would die that night.

Because tonight, momma wasn't there to protect her. Tonight, she was on her own, and already losing.

Suddenly - she wasn't sure if it was just her brain's sudden attempt at survival, the thought that this was like a movie she and her mother had once watched, or if perhaps, she recalled a past nightmare - she got an idea.

If she'd been the heroine of a movie, any person watching would have rolled their eyes at her 'fool proof' trick. But it was something, and even though it was slight, she at least _had_ a chance to succeed.

So as she passed another intersection, she swerved left, _away_ from the train tracks.

Instead of sprinting down this new path, though, she pressed herself to the wall, hoping to make herself flat enough to become unnoticeable.

A simple, classic trick, with such little chance of working.

The man sped around the corner, then stopped, as he realized his prey was no longer in sight.

'Keep running... keep running... She's over there! Keep running...!' The young girl chanted to herself in her head. 'Please don't look around here...!'

To her horror, he took a moment to gaze around, glancing back behind him, squinting again in front of him... and then began to turn in her direction.

She resisted a squeak of fear, holding her breath, trying to stay invisible.

For a moment, she was sure he'd seen her; it'd looked like he'd been staring **right at her**! But then his gaze just continued, sweeping right by her.

She didn't miss the small smirk on his face, though...

"Hm, I wonder where that little brat went...?" He murmured to himself. "Maybe she ran off? Or maybe..."

He suddenly spun, and Rin hadn't even seen him pull out his gun- she'd only heard the crack, and saw the bullet bounce off the wall, only a few centimeters beside her head.

She couldn't help it then- she screamed.

She'd never screamed as loud and as high as she did then. She felt like her lungs would burst, like her heart would stop. She'd never been so afraid in her life.

Her eyes blurred with tears, so much so, that she couldn't even see a foot in front of her.

She sobbed, wiping at her eyes. He was going to kill her! He really was going to...! She was going to die tonight! She didn't want to die...!

Although death may just have been better than the life ahead of her.

"My, aren't you a cutie?"

Now that he was closer, Rin could distinctly hear an accent... Australian, she guessed, though she had no idea how she knew what an Australian accent sounded like.

He had long shaggy brown hair that framed his face, dark brown pointed eyes, and tight lips that grinned at her mockingly, evilly.

"You know, you may just get out of this alive, little girl." he purred to her, stepping closer. "We have a... a friend, you could say. But he only likes cute girls. If he thinks you're cute enough, he'll keep you, and you'll be allowed to live."

The little girl's eyes widened in hope. After all, her mother had always told her she was irresistibly cute, more beautiful than any other in the world.

"But... if he rejects you..." The man laughed, a low rumble that sent chills down her spine. "Let's just say... I can be quite... aggressive."

Rin had no idea what that meant, exactly, but she knew it couldn't be good.

"Why not test you first, though?" He took hold of little Rin's hand, and guided it to his... well, the place that Rin's mother had told her never to let anyone touch. Was it the same if it was someone else's, though?

No. It still couldn't be right...

Funny how warped my sense of wrong and right grew over the years, huh?

Rin could feel something... strange pushing against her from behind those jeans. She couldn't describe the feeling, but even though she was scared, she felt somewhat curious by this strange bulge.

"What are you making me do...?" she asked, a small tear slipping down her cheek, though she'd stopped crying.

"Don't worry..." he breathed out. "I'll teach you..."

Before Rin could realize what he was doing, he sloppily took her lips with his, licking her, shoving his tongue into her mouth.

She cringed, not liking the feeling and trying to get away, but he kept a strong grip on her, and she couldn't break free. She began to cry again, but her sobs were swallowed up by the ugly sounds of his kissing.

"Heh heh..." he laughed, moving his lips down to her neck, kissing and nipping at her.

"S-Stop...!" she cried.

"Leave her alone, Cal. (2)"

Her assaulter glanced over his shoulder. "What? Why?"

"You know she won't sell as well if she isn't completely innocent."

"You're kidding me, right?" 'Cal' asked, exasperated. "So you get to fuck the fucking mom, or whoever she was, but I'm not allowed to have my turn?"

"We'll find an ugly one for you later." The second man answered.

Rin couldn't see him, but she felt indescribably relieved. He'd saved her! She wanted to thank him! Later... Later, she would.

"The ugly ones are never as much fun..."

"Well then I'll buy you a whore. I'll even clean up the mess once you're done with her."

'Cal' glanced back at Rin, who shrunk away from his gaze, then sighed. "Fuck this." he muttered, as he stormed off.

The second man seemed Japanese. He had jet black hair down to his chin, and smudged black glasses. He seemed about 28, Rin guessed, and was dressed casually in a plaid shirt and stained blue jeans.

He looked the young blonde up and down. "He wasn't kidding... you are a cutie. Too bad..."

Rin frowned. "Too... Too bad?"

"It sucks for you." That was all he said, as he gestured her forward.

Silently and carefully, Rin approached him.

"I won't hurt you." he reassured her. "Bruises reduce quality."

"... Am I of good quality?" Rin asked, not understanding the meaning of 'quality'.

"Yes... excellent quality." he answered, a small smirk on his lips. "... Was that your mother we found?"

Her eyes widened. "M-Maybe! I-I think so... Is she okay?!"

"..." He was silent for a moment. "... She looked like you."

What was that supposed to mean?

After a few feet of silence, Rin spoke up again. "Thank you..."

The man seemed surprised by this. He stopped in his step and turned to her, his dark eyes wide with both confusion and shock. "... For what?"

"Well... you saved me." She glanced up at him with her innocent ocean blue eyes. "Didn't you?"

It'd been a long time since Tohru had ever felt guilty about his actions.

He'd tried to build walls around him to prevent it, to think of it just as work and no more, but... Staring into the big blue eyes of the little girl whose face was still round with youth, his throat grew dry, and he thought about how much he hated his job.

He swallowed. "... From Cal, you mean?" He shook his head, bittersweet. "Don't thank me... there's far worse out there than Cal. In fact, I think you'd be more thankful if I shot you know than if Dell accepts you."

"Dell?"

Tohru stopped and kneeled to the ground, bringing himself to her level. "I'm sure you'll be allowed in." he told her. "And it's not a good place. People die there."

"But... don't people die everywhere?" Rin asked, innocent as ever.

"... How old are you?" The man asked her.

Rin lifted five fingers.

"Five?" He hesitated. "Do you know who Adolf Hitler is?"

Rin nodded. "The evil German Nazi leader!" she answered proudly.

"Do you know what he did to the Jewish?"

"Mm-hm..." Rin nodded, unsure what he was getting at. "He... He made them take showers, but they were poison showers, so they died. And he shot a lot of them."

"And he burned their bodies in a big pit." The man finished. "You've heard of all that, right?"

Rin nodded.

"Where we're bringing you... The 'Terra Perfectionis'... It's not that different from Hitler's Germany." He stood back up to his feet. "Are you sure you don't want me to just shoot you now?"

Rin was horrified. A new Hitler?! But... she wasn't Jew. Or, at least, she didn't think she was. So she shouldn't have a problem. And she was blond and blue-eyed, too. This new Hitler wouldn't want to kill her... right?

"I don't want to die, yet." she answered.

"... Okay." Tohru began walking again, Rin struggling to keep up.

"... Do you really think I'll die there?"

Another moment's hesitation. "... Not if you're careful. The one thing I know from witnessing the Terra Perfectionis is that it's the goodie-two-shoes that live. If you break a rule, or if the people in charge don't like you, you die."

How terrible!

"My advice to you is... no matter what Dell says, you have to follow his orders. It doesn't matter if you don't like it; pretend you like it. Pretend you like him. Better yet, pretend you love him. Make him like you, and you'll be okay."

Rin took this in note.

Little did she know, this was the most useful advice she would ever receive.

After all, it was this advice that had kept me alive for so long.

But all things do end eventually. Even life in the Land of Perfection.

If I could, I'd do it all over again. But that next time, I'd do it over the right way.

If I ever get a chance to do it all over again, I promise you, I _will_ win.

* * *

_You know, this chapter took a surprisingly long time to write. _

_But... I love it._

_I feel this story is going to be... perfect for me._

_In a sense, it's like a combination of Lost and Found, The Girl in the War, and like I mentioned in the story, Hitler's reign._

_I really feel this is an area I will do strongly with. I'll be able to show the true nature of humans. The only time I'm ever allowed to write in a bitch's perspective is when I'm writing for Meiko in Dust in the Corner. And even then, she's not that bad._

_I shall make Rin the biggest bitch you can ever imagine!_

_I can't wait to figure out what I'll do next!_

_I'll be able to teach you the ways of the Terra Perfectionis, and how exactly it is a Land of Perfection. How they make it a Land of Perfection. And I'll just tell you now... it comes with very strict monitoring._

_Oh? You're overweight? Goodbye; you're dead now.  
What's that? The baby you had inherited the mole on your left cheek? So you're saying it's heriditary? Goodbye; both you and that child are dead.  
Oh? Are you refusing orders? You seem to have a history of doing that... That won't work. Goodbye; May you Rest In Hell._

**Question of the Chapter: **Take a wild guess, and tell me what you think maybe one of the rules in the 'Terra Perfectionis'. Tell me what **you** think they do to make it _'perfect'_. I'm curious... ^w^

_I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it._

_I'm going to be optimistic and wish for 10 reviews for this first chapter. That would make my day~! ^w^_

_Love,_

_Naty17_

* * *

(1) Land of Perfection, in Latin. I wanted to have the name of the 'Puppy Mill' be something along the lines of 'Perfect Human', or at least include the word 'perfect' in it. To put it in English would make it sound far too simple, so I spent a good half hour on Google Translate trying to find a language that would suit it. I didn't want any modern language, like English, or French, or German, etc. I considered Japanese at one point (because it is truly a beautiful language), but considering the story takes place somewhere that isn't Japan (I don't know where yet), it'd be out of place. For the longest time, I settled with the Italian translation of 'Land of Perfection'; 'Luogo de Perfeczione' (although now, Google Translate is denying it ever fed me that word). But then, it turns out that this computer will actually let me look up Latin (it wouldn't let me on my DSi), so... Terra Perfectionis it is! I think it has a nice ring to it...

(2) Wondering what Vocaloid Cal is? Think he is perhaps a remade version of Big Al? Think again. Cal is actually... ... ... one of my classmates from school. *shot* He's one of those perfect guys who's always perfect, and has yet to experience a single sadness. Always content, the perfect role-model. So... I thought it'd be nice to show what he may become in a few years! XD (Yeah, _right._) It's my small way of revenge, because he's too 'perfect' to try _**not**_ to be perfect. He doesn't even dare to argue with his parents, and I have a feeling it's slowly eating away at him inside. So here's to you, Cal Sentance; Don't even try living up to everyone's expectations, or you'll be miserable your whole life. Just come out of the closet, or listen to your classical music or hang out with the weirdoes like us if that's what you want most. Why don't you just stop caring about whatpeople think of you for a day, and see what happens! Or just keep on living perfectly and see how long you last. *shrug*

* * *

**Review?**


	2. For the Right Price

**Puppy Mill**

_I want to write this. ... I should be finishing The Girl in the Ward, Chapter 10... But I've finally put down my V.C Andrews book... (What was it called, again? Broken Flower, or something?) and now I REALLY feel like writing this._

_Alright, maybe I should be explaining who exactly V.C Andrews is._

_Have any of you ever read the book Flowers in the Attic? That was V.C Andrews's most famous novel. V.C Andrews is a female writer whose specialty is writing about girls with cursed lives. In fact, my story 'The Girl in the Ward' was inspired by her book 'Secrets in the Shadows'; They both share a girl cursed with a murderous mother, who was only acting in self-defense, and suffered the consequences. _

_Flowers in the Attic is about a girl cursed with incestuous parents._

_And Broken Flower is about a girl cursed to become a woman too early._

_Honestly, I think V.C Andrews would be proud of this story. XD_

_She is someone I admire, and would like to become. She is truly the origin of the _**Darker than Death**_ series. _

_Oh, yeah... for any people who haven't realized, this is the second story in my mini-series, the _**Darker than Death** _series._

_It is, like the title suggests, a small collection of stories that are darker than even death._

_The other story in that collection so far is a Miku x Rin fic called Dust in the Corner. It is very mild compared to this, actually. It has nothing to do with Puppy Mill, though, so it isn't necessary for you to read it. Although it'd still be nice if you did... ;)_

_Anyway, a lot of you were asking if this story would feature gore. Surprisingly, though, you were all... encouraging it?! Wow... that was one thing I definitely wasn't expecting. One person even mentioned he/she would rather have the story rated M for gore/killing rather then for lemons. O-O Oh my... seems I'll have to... ... _rethink_ my plans... :3 I'm glad to see people are finally telling me what they want to see, though. It's actually quite motivating._

_I'll see what I can do to include some of... _**that**.

_Although..._

_I've never written about killing, or torture, or anything like that. Not yet, at least. I wonder, would I even be able to...?_

_Although I can assure you, I am trying to put in torture. ... That sounds sadistic. XD And cruel. But it's the name of the game, is it not?_

_And a bad Rin needs to be _**punished**_ for her bad behaviour... Heh heh heh..._

* * *

**Anonymous Reviews:**

**Guest: **(Hehehehe... Great Prologue! I know this won't be as innocent because of the rating, but these things do happen around the world! I'll wait for your next update!)  
_Oh no, I can assure you, it will NOT be innocent… … … I hope not, at least. And yes, there are things like this that happen in the world; so if you see a guy in a dark alley, who introduces himself as 'Tohru'… RUN. And here, my friend, is the next update~! Read away!_

**MaddyTheAwesome: **_Can you? Good; so can I! ;) Oh, I don't even need suggestions for the rules; I've got them all written down~! I just wanted to see what people would say, is all. (And you couldn't think of anything, hahaha! :P Where's your imagination? D:) Have no fear, next chapter is here~!_

* * *

**Chapter 2 – For the Right Price**

* * *

"Where are we going...?"

The man - whose name Rin had learned was Tohru - had his hand on her shoulder, and was guiding her towards a large building.

"I told you already." He hissed at her, being careful not to let his partner hear them. "This is the Terra Perfectionis."

Rin watched it get closer and closer with every step she took. She wasn't sure how she felt about this... 'Ter a Perfectness'. She didn't even know how to describe it.

It was a large gray building, but it wasn't boring, nor did it stand out. It seemed to loom over her, but it didn't shadow over her. It almost seemed to her like it was saying, 'I'm perfectly innocent, move along.' But surely it couldn't be.

It had a small porch of white; a small white roof, shielding white patio chairs and a matching white table. A white wooden porch swing hung beside it all, and a wilting (white) pot of (surprisingly red) lilies.

However, a large 10-meter high fence surrounded the area, and the building had no neighbours. It was completely secluded, a ways away from the nearest town.

They'd be able to make as much noise as they wanted without receiving complaints.

She shivered. Somehow, that idea frightened her.

The building was huge, so it had to be filled with people. However, it stayed completely quiet and eerie. It was enough to send shivers down the 5-year-old's spine, without completely knowing why it had.

Tohru's partner - Cal - tested the fence's door. "Locked, of course." he muttered. "Tohru, push the call button."

In front of where Tohru was standing, there was a small, strange device. Tohru pushed the button, and waited.

"Hello?" The voice was scratchy, like how it had sounded through the walkie-talkie.

"It's Cal." Tohru's partner answered. "Cal Denvers. Dell knows me."

"..." There was a moment of silence, then a quick, "Dell is waiting for you. Go straight to his office, and do not stop anywhere first."

"I know, I know." Cal dismissed, with a wave of his hand. "Casual protocol."

He tried the fence, but it was still locked.

Eventually, a woman came out of the building's front door.

Her expression was serious, and she walked with her head held up high, complete confidence in her every stride. To be honest, Rin felt slightly envious of her certainty.

She wore a red, frilly halter top, with a black unbuttoned cardigan hanging from her shoulders, and tight denim jeans. Her feet were squished into pointed black heel.

That wasn't what the working city people looked like. Was she not an important person?

Her bright red hair was pulled into a messy ponytail on the back of her head, but her eyes were pointy and blood red, obviously stating that _she_ thought she was an important person.

The clothing she wore, along with her hairstyle and the dozen golden bands she wore on one arm seemed to create the image of a woman in her early twenties, but with her high cheekbones and her sharp gaze, the slightly sunken appearance of her cheeks, she had to be in her mid-thirties.

Strange...

She swiped a card into a device on the other side of the gate, and punched in a code that Rin couldn't see. The device beeped, and a click could be heard. She pulled out a key from her pocket, and slid it into a lock that fastened a chain around the fence, keeping it shut.

Then, she opened the door.

"Right this way." she ordered, her voice dry and monotone. "Dell seems pleased to hear from you." The woman glanced down at Rin, and grimaced a little.

Rin immediately decided she didn't like this lady.

"Is this what you've brought over?" she asked, her voice disapproving. "Not much of a prize..."

What wasn't much of a prize? Rin? Rin was plenty much! She pouted, crossing her arms defiantly.

"That's up to Dell to decide." Tohru said, glancing down at the young blonde.

"Hm." was all the woman said.

Rin sucked in her breath, as they opened the front door to the 'Terra Perfectionis'.

It looked... normal. _Somewhat_ normal. Surely it couldn't be a completely normal place. After all, if what Tohru had told her was right, and it was in someway similar to Hitler's camps... It couldn't be a good place.

They walked through the carpeted house, and Rin couldn't help but be mesmerized by the rugs' designs. Swirls here, stars there, criss-crossing lines from one side to the other. They were beautiful, and probably very expensive.

Paintings hung on the walls, but none did Rin recognize from that book of famous paintings she'd received from her other. However, they seemed more... real.

Many of them featured people, both male and female. They were... stunningly beautiful. The women were all young, but all with different colors of skin, hair, eyes...

One that Rin was particularly fond of as she passed it was of a young woman leaning against a dining table.  
She wore nothing but a bed sheet covering her, and her long orange curls frizzed wildly.  
Her green eyes were piercing, but were rather low on her face, and she had a small nose and mouth.

Strangely enough, she had the face of a child, in the body of a woman. And she didn't look very happy about it either.

Another painting Rin liked was of a brunette, with long wavy hair flowing over her shoulders.  
She was dressed in a Greek robe, with golden chains decorating her head, her neck, her waist.  
The other people in the painting seemed to marvel at her, as if she were a Goddess. Which, she could have very well been.

Rin admired the pictures of the women, and longed for their beauty. She was even envious of the men in the paintings, for even they were just as beautiful.

There were many hallways sprouting on either side, and they passed many staircases. How big exactly was this place, Rin wondered.

As she peered into them, she could sometimes see people glance back at her. They were also quite gorgeous, but none were as wonderful as the people in the paintings.

Most of them seemed to be in their early twenties, and their hair color ranged from all different shades, including pinks, greens, and purples.

Those colors were rarely natural for a person, but not impossible at that time. The first person born with an oddly natural hair-color was discovered in 2009, after all, a girl born with light pink hair (1).

They glanced at her curiously, then returned to their business, never asking the red-haired woman who they were.

After what seemed like forever, they stopped at a door.

"He's waiting for you." The woman told them.

Cal opened the door, and Tohru ushered them all in.

"Ah, well if it isn't Mr. Denvers."

A man was sitting in a brown leather seat, his feet up on a desk.

He had (naturally) silver hair, and crimson-colored eyes. His hair was pulled into a ponytail, but seemed like, if it were let down, it would reach his shoulders.

He wore a dress shirt, though the collar was lazily kept open, and he wore dark black jeans with Italian polished shoes.

All in all, he seemed in his mid-twenties, or his early thirties.

"Dell!" Cal exclaimed with a laugh. "Nice to see you!" They gave each other a good-natured hand shake, as if they were good friends back in the day.

"Well? What have you brought for me today?" The man asked, grinning in anticipation.

Cal pulled Rin forward, and she stumbled. "This clumsy brat, here."

The man kneeled in front of her, cocking his head. "Not bad, not bad..." he said, as if he were examining a product rather than a young girl. "Does she have a name?"

"Only if you want her to have one."

"My name is Rin."

Cal shot her a look, telling her to shut up.

The man only smirked. "Disobedient, aren't you? Rin..."

"Are you Dell?" Rin asked before Cal could stop her.

"Why yes, I am." Dell answered, seeming flattered the little girl had heard of him.

Rin blinked, taking another good look at him. "... I thought you'd be... scarier."

Dell laughed, and Cal slipped in and pinched her arm. Rin squeaked, but no one else seemed to notice, save for Tohru, whose jaw set.

"I think we're going to get along just fine, Rin..." Dell purred. "The only question is... Are you good enough to stay here?"

"I think I'm good enough." Rin answered, which resulted in another hard pinch.

"Well, she certainly seems to have the confidence." Dell laughed. "Do you know if she has any hereditary problems?" he asked Cal. "Any mental disability? Physical?"

"She seemed pretty fine to Tohru, didn't she?"

Tohru tensed as Rin swung her gaze at him.

"Yes, she seemed pretty fine..." Tohru muttered.

"Put up a good fight, didn't she?" Cal teased.

"She was strong." Tohru agreed. "Very fit."

"Nothing odd about her?" Dell asked. "No extra leg, or self-inflicted scars, or something?"

Cal chuckled. "I'd be surprised." They both turned to look at Tohru. "Well?"

"..." Another quick glance at the young blonde, before his face turned hard as stone. "She was very good. Better than average."

"Hm..." Dell thought. "We don't take simple 'better than average'. We only take the bests."

Tohru's face shadowed for a moment, but he seemed even more determined now. "This girl _is_ one of the best."

_'My advice to you is... no matter what Dell says, you have to follow his orders. Make him like you, and you'll be okay.'_

"I... I want you to take me, please." Rin said, so quietly, she was afraid no one had heard her. "I... I can be good enough for you. I... I don't know what I have to do, but I'll try my best."

Dell raised a brow. "... I see. You really haven't told her anything at all, have you?" He tsked. "Next time, Cal, I'd like you to educate your... proposal. They have a right to know what lies ahead of them."

"Will do." Cal nodded, seeming pleased.

Tohru didn't show very much emotion, but Rin felt his hand press onto her back, and she knew then that things had gone well.

"..." Dell gazed at her curiously, a small smile on his face. "I'll have Mew put her into the children's religion classes for now."

"You have religion classes here?" Everyone turned to look at Tohru.

It took a while for Dell to answer. "... We simply call them religion classes. They are more... a preview of life kind of course."

"What do you mean?" Tohru asked, frowning.

"Now, normally, I wouldn't explain such a thing to an outsider, but... I like this girl you've brought me." He winked at Rin, who didn't quite know what to make of it.

"These classes basically educate young children into knowing what to expect in their futures. It teaches them how their parents were chosen for each other, how they will someday be paired together too."

"Will it involve teaching them how to..." Tohru glanced over at Rin. "How to make babies?"

"Of course not. Not that it's any of your business." Although Dell seemed proud to explain. "It simply explains certain rules, such as how you must be good, why you can't leave the grounds, et cetera, et cetera."

"..."

"Yes, they do learn how to... 'make babies' slightly earlier than regular children... at the age of 8, really. But it's all to help them cope better."

"Forcing them to grow up faster so they can cope." Tohru said bitterly. "Hm."

Cal glared at him, and probably pinched him too.

"That's an interesting way to put it." Dell said thoughtfully, completely unfazed. "But it is essential. The children's mentality and emotional stability is extremely important to us."

"But not their sexuality."

"Tohru... that's about enough." Cal warned. He looked furious. "I'm sorry, Dell... He's only been on the job a few months."

"That's fine, that's fine." Dell dismissed it with a wave, though he didn't seem to find it 'fine'. "I wouldn't expect an outsider to understand anyway."

"So... Shall we discuss the price?"

Dell pressed a button on a phone on his desk. "Send Teto, please? ... Yes, Kasane. Thank you." He turned to Rin. "You can wait outside for a moment. Please."

"A-Am I...?" Rin stumbled over her words. "Are you... accepting me?"

Dell let out a small laugh. "If the price is right."

Rin glanced over at Tohru, who nodded at her. Hesitantly, she nodded. "Alright..."

She left the room, and turned to close the door. Dell was already leaning against the door frame. "Are you really going to be worth it?" he asked very quietly.

She nodded. "I... I want to be."

"... Why's that?"

_'Make him like you, and you'll be okay.'_

Rin stared up at the man before her with her big blue innocent eyes. "I want you to like me."

He smiled, the left corner of his mouth rising. "... You're a strange child." he said, leaning down to place his lips to her forehead.

Rin wasn't sure how to respond to that. She simply felt surprised, but couldn't quite tell if this action was a good one for her or not.

"Wait for Teto." he said. "She'll show you where to go."

And then he shut the door behind him.

... What would happen to her? That was one of the many questions bouncing around in her head. She'd had a choice; die straight away, or be sent here, to this Terra Perfectionis.

Had she made the right choice?

But wasn't living better than dying? It had to be, right?

Somehow, it felt like this was going to be one of the biggest moments in her life.

For better or for worse.

"You must be Rin."

A woman with hot pink-colored curls pulled into two pigtails stood before her. Her eyes were fuchsia-colored, and her brow was furrowed. She did not look like a very kind person.

She seemed about 28, possibly older. Her jaw was clenched, and Rin wondered if she'd done something wrong. She later realized Teto always looked angry.

"Follow me."

She began to walk away, not even looking back to see if Rin was following. Rin struggled to keep up.

Eventually, Teto stopped in front of a door, and opened it, beckoning Rin inside.

There was a black board set up on one wall, and the floors were tiled white. In the center of the room was a circle of children her age. That got Rin interested more than anything.

After all, she'd never met anyone her age. She wasn't even sure they existed until now.

But there they were.

Their ages seemed to vary between ages 3 to about 5. Their hair was of different colors, blues, greens, blondes, browns... a rainbow.

They were talking amongst themselves, laughing, teasing... Rin couldn't help but feel somewhat amazed.

"Sit."

Despite not liking Teto already, Rin sat down outside of the circle. A few of the children turned to look at her, whispering curiously to each other.

One came to talk to her.

"Hi." the girl smiled at her. She had long teal-blue hair that hung down to her mid-back, and bright, friendly teal eyes. "My name is Miku."

"Oh..." Rin gasped. "Um... hi."

Miku giggled. "What's your name?"

"M-My name?" Rin stuttered. She could have sworn her mother had warned her against telling anyone her name... but she'd already told Dell. And the memory was already fleeing her. "M-My name is Rin."

Miku giggled again. "How old are you?"

Rin blinked. Why was she asking about so much? "I'm... 5."

"Really?" Miku cocked her head. "I thought you were 6."

Rin shook her head, feeling a little awkward. "U-Um... how... How old are you?"

"I'm 7!" Miku grinned, then looked both ways. "... Can you keep a secret?"

Rin blinked, but said nothing, which Miku took as a sign to continue. "I'm actually not supposed to be here..." Another giggle. "But the classes I have to go to are just so... weird!"

"How?" Rin asked, curiousity peaking.

Again, Miku looked both ways before answering. "They told us... that girls, when they grow up, start to bleed."

Rin frowned. "Bleed? Doesn't everyone bleed?"

"No, I mean..." Miku patted her lap. "From down there!"

Rin gasped. "Oh... but won't that hurt?"

Miku gaped at her. "That's... it?"

"What?"

"You didn't freak out at all!"

Rin shrugged. "I've... I've seen my mommy bleed like that. She told me it would happen to me one day. It happens every month, right?"

Miku blinked. "You... _saw_ that? ... What did she do to stop it?"

"She..." Rin stopped, struggling to remember. "She... I don't know."

Miku grimaced. "It's gross, though. I don't like it."

"Hey!" Everyone looked forward at Teto, who stood in front of everyone. "Your teacher has been... ... She won't be able to be here anymore. So for today, I will be your teacher."

Some children in the class groaned.

"I hate her..." Miku grumbled.

"Now, I want you all to tell me where you are right now." Teto ordered.

"La Terra Perfectionis!" the children all yelled out.

"Good." Teto seemed satisfied. "And what do you get at Terra Perfectionis?"

This seemed to stump the children. They whispered amongst each other, wondering what the answer to this question could be.

"What _is_ the answer?" Rin whispered to Miku.

"It depends for each person." her new friend whispered back. "They all say something different."

"You get a perfect life." Teto answered for them. "The only job you have to do is be good parents. You don't have to work. Money is not an issue for you. Your safety is guaranteed. You don't have to worry about a single thing. Does that sound good?"

The children mumbled. "We don't get a lot of toys..." one of them said. Others nodded their agreement.

"You don't need toys." Teto said coolly. "Toys ruin the mind. Why should you be wasting your time with dolls when you could be learning instead?"

"Because it's fun...!"

"It won't be fun if you turn dumb." Teto threatened. "Because you know what happens to dumb people? They **die**."

The children were silent.

Suddenly, Rin felt extremely uncomfortable. She didn't want to be here anymore. So, she simply rose to her feet, and walked to the door.

"Where do you think you're going, missy?"

Rin turned back, surprised at the anger in her teacher's voice. "I don't like it here." she simply stated.

"I don't care." Teto seemed furious. But what had Rin done? With momma, Rin was allowed to leave whenever she didn't like something.

Embarrassed, she glanced at the children staring at her. Miku stared at her gaping, mouthing the words, 'What are you doing?!'

Another stare met her eyes. A young boy the same age as she glanced at her in curiousity, his ocean blue eyes sparkling. His blond hair was pulled into a messy ponytail, and he was smiling slightly.

"I... I want to go." Rin insisted.

"And I don't care!"

Rin thought for a moment. Surely Dell would let her go... "I'm going to go see Dell."

"No, you will not!" Teto stormed over to her. "You are staying here, and that is-"

Seeing an angry woman storm up to her, Rin couldn't help but follow her first instinct. She opened the door, and ran.

She had no idea where she was going, couldn't even hear Teto following her. Even so, she ran and ran.

She didn't like it here! She hated it here! She was scared! She was going to die!

And then suddenly, she heard them. Someone- maybe more than just a someone -was following her. The footsteps were all around her, coming from the left, the right, in front of her, behind her, and even from above.

No...! She had to be faster, faster still! She didn't know what would happen to her, should she be caught, but she hadn't had very good experiences when it came to being chased.

Around a corner, around that corner, until she was back in the hall where the people stared from the paintings on the walls, watched her run away, somehow knowing exactly why.

Turning right, she spotted a staircase. Did she really want to go up? But no, she didn't have time to turn anywhere else; already, she could hear their voices behind her.

Her throat hurt, her lungs ached, and she was beginning to grow tired as she ran up the stairs.

Why had she even run away?

All around her, she felt danger. It was everywhere, in the walls, behind the doorways, and especially in the people. She didn't like it!

The top of the stairs was nearly in reach.

Tohru had given her a choice: die now, or be sent here. She hadn't even discovered the truth of the Terra Perfectionis yet, and she was already regretting her decision.

Teto scared her. The woman with the red ponytail scared her. Dell scared her.

This place scared her.

And she missed her mother.

Mother would know what to do... Mother would be able to tell her whether it would be best to stay or die. Mother would know! Mother would-

She froze.

"We've gotten orders not to shoot." The walkie-talkie beeped. "Hold your fire."

They'd ambushed her.

Three of them waited in front of her. Four others were in the stairwell behind her.

A few people poked out of rooms and halls to try and see what was going on. A few offered her looks of pity. Most just went back to what they were doing, as if this were an everyday occurrence.

Which, it very well could have been.

"Come on." A man with dark hair told her, grabbing her arm rather violently.

"No!" Rin screamed, thrashing.

"Sedate her." Another man nodded to a woman with black curls.

"No! Where are you taking me?!"

The man who had her wrist smirked, bending it at a painful angle. "We're taking you where bad girls go."

Rin let out a scream, as her wrist reached its maximum turning point. Tears slipped down her face. "Let me go, let me go, let me go...!"

The woman shook her head with a small laugh, and pulled out a needle.

"Bring me to Dell!" Rin shrieked. "Dell won't let this happen to me!"

He scared her, yes, but he had power. Even at that age, I could recognize power, and know what it could do. If anyone could stop me from going wherever they were taking me, it had to be him.

After all... he'd given me a kissed. Surely that meant he liked me.

I hadn't known that he was just as sadistic as these people, if not more. But I'd soon find out.

But in the end, he was nowhere near as ruthless as I could be.

The female guard stabbed the needle into Rin's arm, and things went dizzy. Black spots blotched her vision, and her head began to hurt.

"Dell won't help you." a voice echoed outside of her head. "He doesn't care about you, or any other money-maker."

Rin wanted to object, to tell them how Dell had kissed her, but her mouth fell like it was stuffed with cotton, and her ears were losing their hearing.

And then she blacked out.

* * *

"Mm...!"

She wasn't sure how she could still cry after all this time. Shouldn't she have run out of tears by now?

Her sobs were muffled, her eyes red and puffy. She felt disgusting, even more so than when she'd spent weeks on the streets without a shower.

Why couldn't they just kill her now?

Wasn't that what they were going to do to her anyway? Why tie her up, first? Were they going to torture her before killing her?

She let out another choked sob. Hadn't she suffered through enough pain already?

She pulled again at her bonds, but the ropes only cut into her skin, and her arms remained tied to the bed posts.

Why was it always beds? It was always like that in the movies she'd seen with her mother, whenever they were lucky enough to find a house left unlocked. The pretty girls were always tied up to the beds.

Despite her situation, she had to admit beds worked quite well for bondage. A strange thought for a mere 5-year-old girl, but she'd been through enough to know it was best to learn from any and every experience.

It calmed her down as well to think of this as nothing but another experience, even though she was quite sure it would be her last.

Her hands were tied above her head, her feet tied at the lower bed posts. She wondered if they had one for every size; after all, she was only five, and wouldn't be tall enough for an adult's bed. Did that mean they also had bondage beds for older girls, teenage girls, and even adult women?

Perhaps she'd find out.

Oh, of course not... That was only wishful thinking. They were going to torture her, and she was going to die. There was no use hoping for any alternati-

A door clanged shut.

Oh god, no...! Not yet!

She tried to scream, but her voice was already hoarse and irritated, and the gag in her mouth stopped any sound from escaping.

She didn't know who was there, until he took off her blindfold. It didn't help very much at first, and she squinted, adjusting to the little light in the room provided from a small lantern on the wall.

She gasped as she recognized the person standing over her. "Mm!"

Dell didn't smile. He looked dead serious, which scared Rin to no end. "I heard you tried to run from class."

Rin stopped thrashing, listening to him with a worried expression.

"Were you trying to escape la Terra Perfectionis?" he asked, his eyes cold as stone.

Rin shook her head, protesting through her gag.

"Really?" Dell's eyes narrowed. "Why should I believe you?"

Why was he asking her something like that when she couldn't speak? Couldn't he take out her gag first? It hurt...

She squeezed her eyes shut, and more tears pooled around her lashes. "Mm...!" she whimpered.

"Well?" Dell waited. "What happened to all that 'want you to like me' crap? Hm?"

Rin just stared up at him with her wide innocent eyes.

Dell kept his stare, but his jaw worked. Finally he sighed, and reached behind her head, beginning to untie the knot of her gag.

"Well?" he said, as he pulled the cloth out of her mouth. "Do you still think you're worth it?"

"She..." Rin slid her gaze to the side, embarrassed. "She scared me... I didn't like her."

"So you ran?" Dell raised a brow. "You ran because you were afraid of Teto?"

"... Yes..."

"... Really?" He still didn't believe her.

"I swear! I promise!"

He stared at her, daring her to come up with something better.

Instead, she gave up. "You... You're going to kill me now... aren't you?" She asked gloomily.

His expression didn't change. "... No..." he finally answered. "I'm not one to waste my money." He crossed his arms.

For the first time in the last few hours, a shred of hope filled the young girl. "R-Really...?"

"Really." He repeated.

"S-So... I'm going to live...!"

"Yes... but I can't have you run from class again, even if your teacher scares you." Dell said, looking over to the stone walls thoughtfully. "Therefore... I'll have to teach you a good lesson. One you won't forget."

He glanced back at her then, and she shivered at the look in his eye. She wasn't sure what it was, exactly. Anticipation, perhaps, mixed with a strange form of lust. He was looking forward to this 'lesson'.

"Wh-What are you... going to do to me?"

He began untying the knot that held her hands to the posts. Once it was untied, instead of simply letting her free, he forced her hands together back to back, and tied a new knot around her wrists.

He smirked at her fearful expression, and untied the knot from around her ankles.

This, however, he left untied. If she wanted, she could run from him now... He smirked as she slid her eyes to the door.

"It's closed." He smiled. "And if you try to run, your punishment, I promise you, will be severe."

And Rin believed him.

Dell had enough power to do whatever he wanted. He sat on his own throne. If he wanted to torture someone, no one would stop him.

Somehow, his power radiated from him. She could even smell it. It frightened her, but at the same time, she was curious about it. What would she be able to do with power like that?

"I would never try to run from you." She stared him straight in the eye as she spoke. "You are the only one who can... who can save me. I... I need you. Please..."

Dell smirked. "You truly are a strange child... But that doesn't change anything for you right now." With that, he flipped her over, so she was lying on her stomach against the bed's hard mattress.

She squeaked. "Wh-What are you doing...?!"

"Relax..." he whispered, dangerously close to her ear.

Suddenly, he tugged on her skirt. She let out another squeal. What on earth was he doing?!

Her skirt fell to her feet. "D-Dell...!"

He slid his fingers under the waistband of her panties, and let out a low rumble of laughter. "Are you still willing?"

Rin had no idea how to answer. What would he do to her?!

Without her even realizing what he was going to do, he pulled down her panties, and she was literally butt naked, forced down on a scratchy mattress. Not a very good combination.

"Are you still considering running away?" he asked her teasingly.

"Nn...!"

He ran his hands over her smooth bottom. "Precious, aren't you?"

Rin whimpered. "Please...!" She tried to protest.

"SMACK!"

Rin cried out, and her skin started to redden. "Don't be slutty, now..." Dell smiled, leaning over her. "This isn't supposed to feel good."

How did these tears keep falling? Her eyes were already red and stinging...

"I don't think you've learned your lesson quite yet..." Dell whispered. "And this doesn't hurt nearly as much as it should."

"Wh-What do you...?!"

A sharp slap echoed through the room, and Rin screamed, twisting around to see what exactly he had hit her with; it hurt much more than it had when he'd simply slapped her.

He held up the ruler in his hands, showing it to her. "Be thankful I didn't use the whip...!"

Another hit.

"Please stop...!" Rin cried up. "Dell...!"

A super hard slap this time. "You do not call me Dell...!" he hissed. "Any ordinary person at the Terra Perfectionis must call me 'Master', as they've called the leaders before me here since the very first generation."

Rin grit her teeth, as he delivered another blow. This person couldn't boss her around... No one was the boss of her...! "Dell...!" she repeated.

Dell actually took a step back from her. "Did you just... defy me...?" He smiled. "You really are different... But don't even think of disobeying me again. Or I'll have your skin peeled off your back."

Rin cried. "Momma...!"

Another slap.

"Don't cry for someone who abandoned you." Dell snarled.

"A-Abandoned?"

"What? You didn't know?" Dell grinned evilly. "She gave you away. Begged for them to take you, Cal said."

"Momma would never do that...!"

Another hit. Another cry.

"People aren't always what they seem." Dell chanted, like a child. "You can't trust people on the outside. The only people you can trust are the people in the _Terra Perfectionis_~!"

"No...!"

This was the very first lie told to me at the Terra Perfectionis. Oh, or... maybe not, actually. When Teto said our safety at the Terra Perfectionis would be guaranteed- **THAT **was the first lie told to me here.

But this was the first lie that _truly_ mattered at the time.

They got me to believethat my very own mother had abandoned me, given me away. And I foolishly believed them.

And little by little, I began to forget her; I forgot what her face looked like, how her blue eyes glowed when she laughed, how full and pink her lips were, how she always felt warm, how her laugh sounded, how she'd play with my hair how she'd give me her warmer clothes on the coldest of nights, how she vowed to always protect me, how proud she always seemed to have me...

I forgot all the things I loved about her, and all the love she had for me. All that was left was a growing ball of hatred, angry at her for 'abandoning' me, a small ball of fire that the council happily fed until it became a part of me.

But now, I remember her.

She would have been proud of me, I think. Devastated to see I'd gotten worse than she, but proud at how far I'd strived.

I know now; you never would have let them take me, if you could have stopped them. I wish I could have saved both you and myself.

Finally, the hits stopped echoing throughout the room. Rin was still sobbing and sniffling, her bottom so red, it looked like it would bleed.

"There, there..." Dell cooed. He'd abandoned the ruler he'd had so much fun using, and scooped her up so she sat on his lap. "Now do you understand why it's important to follow rules?"

Still blubbering foolishly, Rin nodded.

"Have you learned your lesson?"

Up and down, Rin shook her head.

"Good." Dell smiled in fake warmth. "I have one more question, though."

'I don't wanna! Why can't you just leave me alone...?'

Dell leaned close enough to her left ear that she could hear his breathing. "Do you still want me like you?" he asked.

Looking back, I'm certain I couldn't have been smart or determined enough to say yes. No, it wasn't my intelligence or common sense that made me whisper the word, but rather fear, I think, that the ruler would swing back down on me- or worse.

He smiled. "Good girl... I have a feeling we'll get along well together."

Rin was shocked. After a harsh beating, the last thing she'd expected Dell to do was lean down, tilt her head back, and press his lips to hers.

I wonder if there was anyone else he was this 'close' to. This didn't happen often- rarely did he show me such affection.

But I had to wonder... Was I really as special to him as he said? That's one thing I'm actually not completely sure was a lie or not. I'd never caught him with anyone outside of the council, other than myself.

So was I really the only one?

And… if so… then why?

There was one thing I knew for sure, though: No matter what, I had to be good, or I'd suffer. I had to live up to their standards, no matter how high. I'd always have to be a model patient.

But a certain boy turned that all around for me.

But I don't blame him for it. Of course I wouldn't. There's nothing for him to take fault in, after all.

It's _my_ fault. I should have gotten between them sooner, made them hate each other; this way, they couldn't have been paired.

But they did.

And that was what started my mission in the first place.

Love had it begin, and hate had it end. Ironic, isn't it?

I can tell you for sure, though; this was not the last time I would be tied up and hit.

But I suffered through each and every beating because of love.

And _**that's **_how you know when it's real.

* * *

_AHAHAHAHAHAHA!_

_Awesomeness~!_

_THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN! __Too__ fun… I really am a sadistic bitch. *w^" Heh heh heh…_

_So, interesting, don't you think?_

_It certainly gives you a different impression of this 'Terra Perfectionis', doesn't it? "Your safety is guaranteed." Ha. Haha. Ha. Hopefully you've all realized by now that _**THAT **_there was total bullshit. ^w^_

_No gore, I'm afraid… Sorry. I only just remembered that part, and… uh… yeah. That beating was quite mild.  
I'm still not sure if it's even possible for me to CREATE gore. Like… really. I'm not sure if I'd honestly be able to do it._

_Sigh… We'll see, right?_

_Ladeeda~!__What else was I going to say…? Oh yes!_

_I keep forgetting to mention this, but I'm looking for a beta to help me with… Well… all my stories. More of an editor than a beta, really. Just someone who will be forced to listen to me bounce ideas, will suggest some, tell me what I should change… and perhaps even be my personal coach. (You know, like, 'GET YOUR BUTT MOVING AND UPDATE!' Not necessarily that angrily, though… OTL) Anyone interested?_

_Ooh, let's see what people guessed would be the rules!_

**MonochromAddict: **Well my guess is you can't fall in love with anyone other than the one chosen for you (reminds me of the book MAtched). Hmmm perfection... I guess Dell chooses people based on some way to create a perfect race (like Hitler) and pairs them up with others who suit them exactly as he likes to make more people of that type... stupid guess? I'm not feeling very smart today.

_That's actually a very good guess~! You are VERY smart, Mono-chan~! (Heh heh, Mono-chan… funny. :3)_

**satuross: **so what is Terra Perfectionis? A brothel?

… … … _Nooooooooooo…! (Sort of… … … Maybe a little more than just 'sort of'…) (That wasn't actually one of the guesses, but… well TECHNICALLY, it was, so… yeah. I thought I should mention it.)_

**Question of the Chapter: Would you go through beatings like Rin had for something like love?**

_I'm expecting some lengthy answers here~!_

_Anyway… thank you all for your reviews! 11 reviews for chapter 1?! Amazing! I'm really, REALLY happy~! QwQ_

_Keep them coming!_

_I love you all~!  
Naty17_

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(1) Not true, but I needed a reason to make people like Miku look normal there. If colorful hair is rare, but people like it, then so do the bosses at the Terra Perfectionis.

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**Please Review!**


	3. If This Is My Castle

**Puppy Mill**

_All those who've gotten an alert are probably very confused. 'Why's it say chapter 3?' Well, see... What I most often got when people commented on this story was that the plot was very interesting and original but that the person hated this or that character. Some, it's alright for you to hate, like Dell (although I think he might be the fan favorite, LOL!). Some, it's not very good for you to hate... like Len._

Len: *sob sob sob*

_Len's all depressed because everyone hates him. XD Sorry Len~!_

Len: *sniff* *points up middle finger* ALL YOUR DAMN FAULT!

_OwO" I know, that's why I'm trying to fix it...!_

_Anyway, I'm adding an extra chapter in between what was chapters 2 and 3 and I'll edit all chapters afterwards to fix some things. Oh, and I'll slightly edit chapter 2 as well. ^.^ I'm going to try to make certain characters more likeable, as well as fix some details._

April 12th, 2013

_That's strange. When I was going through my files, I found one called 'Puppy Mill Ch.3 (replacement)'. I thought it strange, since I'd been sure I hadn't started the chapter yet. When I opened it, I found the A/N you see above. Weird... *shrug* Oh well._

_Oh, and by the way, this story can be a real pain up my arse sometimes. I'm saying that because I've recently discovered architecture is not my cup of tea. See, because the Terra Perfectionis is such a huge building, I don't really know where anything is myself. And so, I decided to make a floor plan. ... I officially hate making floor plans._

_The Terra Perfectionis has over 100 rooms, and the building is at least the size of three football fields put side to side (estimating, of course, since I'm not sure how big a football field is). And... there are three floors. OTL I have from the entrance to the classrooms and Dell's office. ... And that's only about 1/6 maybe of the first floor. Uuuuuuuuugh. It's so boring to draw all these rooms... It looks pretty good, though._

_Haha, I was chatting with DuffQuick today on Skype, when he started teasing me. He was pointing out my typos in TGW (I wrote 'others' instead of 'bothers', OTL), so I threatened to commit suicide (as a joke). He was like, 'You wouldn't! You haven't posted L&F Ch.22 yet!' and so I said, 'OMG I'M GOING TO COMMIT SUICIDE AND BRING L&F WITH ME!' The conversation continued with him saying he'd lock me in a shed with nothing but a laptop so I'd have to write, and I said I'd commit suicide by swallowing and choking on the laptop. (Such an odd topic of conversation... XD) 'Haha, maybe I should make sure it's a Dell brand laptop so you can say you died choking on Dell!' Of course, you can guess which way I took that, so I found it hilarious. XD Then there was this whole thing about if Dell in PM threatened Rin either to swallow _him_ or his laptop and which she'd choose (don't ask- you can probably guess what we decided as the answer), and blah blah blah... But now I can't stop thinking about that as I write this! I keep on imagining Dell coming around with a laptop in his hands, like, 'Guess what I'm gonna do with this? *evil wink*' (He's going to commit suicide by swallowing it. owo)_

_So, yeah. Point is, I'm having some trouble writing this chapter because of DuffQuick, so you may go after him with your pitchforks now. (You're welcome, Ducky-kun~! Bi-bi~!) Oh, but you may want to ask him first if he really is a prostitute like I hinted he was in L&F Ch.22. I bet he'd love to tell you all his fun adventures! ^w^ (He's going to kill me now, I know it. XD Death by duck. o.o)_

_Anyway, enjoy this new chapter. owo_

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**Anonymous Reviews:**

**Um, yeah, I'm kinda leaving for Cuba in 4 minutes, so do you mind if I DON'T do these this time? Please? Thanks.**

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**Chapter 3 - If This Is My Castle...**

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There are some things you shouldn't say.

When visiting an anorexic, you shouldn't mention anything about obesity. When visiting a person with cancer, you shouldn't bitch and moan about how much your headache is hurting. When speaking to a priest, you probably shouldn't tell him you want to become a Satanist. When you're married, it'd be best not to admit to your spouse that you've never really loved him.

There are a many things I should never have said, along with an equal amount of things that I regret _not_ saying. I tend to complain and whine. I tend to be overly-critical. I can't help but feel hate. I'm not perfect- far from it -but that was something I desperately needed to be to fit in.

I could never fit to their expectations. Sometimes, it felt like the pressure was killing me. Maybe, in a way, it did. You see, never would I ever be good enough for them because I am an outsider. I am from a place other than the Terra Perfectionis, a completely other world.

Maybe this other world was better in the end. I was never really beat (only kicked around once in a while), I had someone to take care of me, and I felt loved. But I didn't have a home. At the Terra Perfectionis, I had a place to live and safety from the crueler outsiders' wrath. Ha! What a joke! How they'd brainwashed me there, for Dell and the council were far more dangerous than the people I'd met on the streets.

At least I didn't have to sleep shivering. I didn't have to beg for food. I could shower and be clean. I could learn and go to what could be considered school. Hadn't my mother wanted that for me? Funny, though: At the Terra Perfectionis, my mother practically didn't exist. After all, they'd made me believe she'd given me up, that she'd never loved me at all. Such a fool I was to believe it. Perhaps if I'd kept memory of my mother, I would have come out better in the end.

I wonder what the human body's boiling point is. Everything has a boiling point, doesn't it? Or is it only metals that melt? This was something I never learned- the only way I knew what a boiling point is was by reading those dictionaries in my spare time.

Fire is hot, I'd discovered. It's excruciating, though I've felt worse. Should I shed my clothes, you'd be able to see the burns I wear. Or perhaps would they be covered by all the fresher dents?

If I had to choose the method of torture that I preferred the most, I think I'd say 'fire'. Yes, it hurt, of course (it _is_ torture, after all), but it also gave me strength. It represented me, for inside myself I was a ball of fire also, burning with will and determination. The flames brought to surface my hate and reminded me why I always dealt with this.

Why did I always accept my punishments? Why didn't I try to fight more often? I did so because I couldn't afford to lose any more than I have. I couldn't lose Len. I wish he could have felt the same way- earlier, at least.

There are some thing you shouldn't talk about and some things you'll regret not saying. I regret not confessing to him earlier. It all worked out in the end, though- somewhat. Kind of. I regret having panicked so much during tough times and being too laid-back during others.

There is one thing I won't ever regret saying, though; I won't ever regret saying 'I love you'.

I'd been so confused at that moment. I'd been told I'd have a happy life at the Terra Perfectionis. They'd promised, and yet, there I stood, my cheeks tear-stained, my bottom red and bruised. I was only five and far too young; I couldn't understand what was going on nor what it all meant.

I was used to uncomfortable nights, sore limbs and empty stomachs, but I wasn't used to such cruelty from a person I thought I could trust. Despite what they'd tricked me into thinking, my mother had taken good care of me. Here, I had no one, and was forced to quickly become independent. Independence wasn't an easy thing to learn at the age of five.

I remember laying there in shock. The thin mattress was so hard and uncomfortable, yet I couldn't get up. I lay staring at the wall, fixated on a few flecks that could have been and probably were blood.

Where were the smiles? Where was the laughter? Where was this happy world I'd dreamed of? Whenever my mother had seemed to give up, I'd told her of a place we'd be somewhere. This place was huge, castle-like. There were hundreds of children, and none were allowed to cry. There would be enough food for everyone, and we'd have guardian dragons to scare away the bad guys. Someday soon, we'd be in paradise. But of course, I'd forget about these wishes not long after I'd arrive at the Terra Perfectionis. The council had a way of destroying dreams.

After what seemed like an enternity, I'd picked myself up, slowly pushing myself first onto my knees, then lowering on the ground my feet. I could stand, though it hurt.

I felt so ashamed of myself as I pulled up my skirt. This had all been my fault, after all! Had I not have run, Dell wouldn't have been forced to scold me, and I wouldn't have been forced to see his uglier side. That's how I had to think- everything that had happened was my fault.

Besides, Dell probably hadn't wanted to do such things to me. I'd been bad, and so I deserved punishment. He had a reputation to uphold, and so he couldn't spare favorites. But I _knew _I was special, I had to be, or else he wouldn't have kissed me. Only those who love each other kiss each other... right?

I felt so dizzy and confused. It really wasn't surprising that I fell forward while trying to stand. I let out a small squeal as I fell and twisted, trying to protect myself, but it backfired; I landed on my leg, and it hurt, it hurt!

I cried some more on the dirty ground out of pain. Maybe my bones had snapped! Maybe now they wouldn't want me, and they'd throw me out where the bears and the wolves would eat me! Oh no, oh no, I couldn't let that happen; I had to be strong! I had to pretend it didn't hurt, I had to!

I slowly lifted myself and focused on regaining my balance. Wincing as I did, I finally took a step forward. I tried to avoid limping but eventually gave up, seeing as it hurt not to. 'I need a band-aid, a really big band-aid!' my childish mind had thought. My eyes were watery again by the time I made it to the stairs.

Was I allowed to leave? Dell had never specified. I didn't want to stay here, it was cold and it was scary. I despised the look of that cell near the wall, like a prison cage. It gave me the jitters.

Slowly, I climbed the stairs. They were concrete and cold, and they too had little flecks of red decorating them. I didn't like it at all, not one bit! I wanted to leave now, so please, let the door be unlocked!

I nearly tripped and fell down those frozen stairs of rock. My feet were bare and slowly numbing and I'd accidentally stepped on my own foot without even realizing it. I fell forward onto my knees and let out a cry as I felt the skin scrape off my left one. Now it bled too and there was a bright new spot of red in this haunted dungeon. I cried, frightened of the sight of blood. How embarrassing to hear myself wail like so! Years later I would never screech like that, ever, not even when alone, for there were listening ears everywhere, and I could **not **be proven weak.

Once I'd finally quieted my sobs down to sniffles I picked myself up again. My nose was running and I had nothing but the back of my hand to wipe it off with. Besides, my clothes were already dirty enough and I couldn't assume they'd freely give me new ones.

I was so afraid the door would be locked that I panicked when I pulled the handle upwards. It wouldn't budge! I'd be locked in here forever! Dell had betrayed me, he wanted me to die after all! No, no, no, what would I do?! Slowly, I pulled the handle down and a loud 'click' was heard. Oh. So that's why.

I hadn't a clue where I was. A long vertical hall that crossed with a horizontal one to my left, from what I could see, but where exactly was this hall?

Carefully, I tiptoed down to the crossroad and glanced around. To my right was a hallway with a many doors. All those on one side were closed, but a single door across was left open. In it, I found a large room with a wide circular green carpet in the middle. Quickly, I averted my gaze. This was the class room I'd ran from, and not somewhere I wanted to be.

The hall to my left was completely empty, without any door at all. It was a strange contrast seeing as its opposite had so many.

I decided in the end to go south, to turn and pass the basement door again and continue on. It led to yet another crossroad, but at least it lead somewhere.

I glanced both ways, trying to decide which to take. Where were all the people I'd seen earlier? Where they not allowed here? Then why was I? Was it because I was special?

"Oh, hey, it's you again!" I spun sharply at the voice. It was that girl from before, 'Miku'. She still wore the same frilly skirt and the bright polka-dot yellow blouse, as well as the cute hair clips holding back some of her bangs. She was pretty, so very pretty...

A boy trailed along behind her. He was shorter and seemed a little younger, with golden-blond hair and bright blue eyes. I found it strange the way he lit up seeing me. "Oh, hi!"

They both quickly rushed up to me, making me feel like a small mouse surrounded by vipers. Should I run? Would they hurt me too?

"Hey, I was super worried!" Miku said. "I mean, did you see the look on Teto's face?" She whistled. "I thought she was going to kill you! But then you ran away, and I was like, 'Oh, she's dead for sure now.'"

I couldn't help but feel disturbed. Didn't she see my tear-swollen eyes? Hadn't she noticed my limp? Did she not see my soiled clothes, my bruised skin, my mussed hair? Why did she act so oblivious, and what could 'kill' mean?

"Oh, hey, this is Len! He's the same age as you, see?"

The boy smiled warmly at me and waved. "Your name is Rin, right? It's pretty! (1)"

I didn't have a very good impression of him at first. My first thought after meeting him was, 'Does he always follow her around?' My second was, 'He seems kind of dumb.' Len isn't dumb, by far. Len is kind and optimistic, beautiful inside and out. Just you see.

"I don't know where I am," I said dumbly.

Miku laughed. "Silly, you're at the Terra Perfectionis! Duh!" She giggled some more. "I thought you knew that already!"

I could only stand there, absorbing it. "Terra Perfectionis..." It still seemed so unreal. "Do they have horses?" Of course, that was a stupid question to ask, but in my magical dream palace, there were dozens and dozens of horses and ponies. I couldn't blame myself for wanting to know whether or not this was my dream castle. In some ways, it seemed like it- though the dragons didn't seem to be doing a good job warding off the bad guys.

Len and Miku both glanced at each other. "Um... Well, I've never seen one, but there might be some hiding!" Miku giggled. "Maybe we can go look for them later!"

"I'm sleepy," I said, proceeding a yawn. "I don't know where we go goodnight. Where do we go nap?" If they didn't know, then surely Dell would. If this were to be my dream-castle, Dell would have to be my dream-prince, or maybe even my dream-king (for after all, the king was more powerful than a prince, right?). He'd _have_ to be, for who else was there?

"Um..." Len cocked his head. "If you don't know where you sleep, it's probably because you don't have anywhere yet. It's your first day here, right?"

Miku gasped. "O-Oh yeah... Rin-Rin's an outsider, isn't she?"

They both looked uncomfortable for a moment, but Len quickly shook his head. "That's okay, Miku." He smiled at me warmly. "She's nice, see?"

I blinked, confused. "Outsider?" I knew what 'outside' meant, so 'outsider' had to mean someone outside, right? But... what was I outside of? I was inside right now, wasn't I? I didn't really like being outside either. It made no sense!

Miku didn't look completely reassured but forced a smile anyway. "Right." She gave me a funny look that I couldn't exactly figure out at the time. "Well then, I guess you'll have to wait until they give you a place to sleep. We all get our own rooms. Cool, huh?" Suddenly her disturbed look was gone and she went bright. "I get to live by myself with my momma! Cool, huh? Eh? Isn't it cool?"

I nodded, feeling sad for some reason. "Mm-hm..." Would I be able to live with my momma too? Where was my momma?

"Hey, Len, let's go show her my house!" Miku chirped. "I wanna show Rin my Chii-choo." She turned to me and explained, "I got Chii-choo at the Nego-quadram (2)."

"The Nego-quadram?" What could that be?

"Okay!" Len chimed. "Let's go!" He smiled. "Come on, Rin! Chii-choo is super cute!"

I later discovered that Chii-choo was a blue stuffed animal that strongly resembled a rabbit. (3) Miku's mother had gotten it for her when she was about our age, two years earlier. It smelled strange though, I always found, and I wondered why it would be given away so simply. I knew of no other who owned a stuffed animal, so surely they had to be rare.

They ran off down the hall and I tried to join them, but my body hurt too much to run. I was left instead limping after them helplessly, when Len seemed to notice I wasn't beside him. He glanced back over his shoulder and stopped before walking back in my direction.

"Are you alright?" he whispered. "You look hurt."

I didn't know why we had to speak so quietly, but did so anyway. "I-I... I just have an owwie on my leg. That's all. I'm okay."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded. "I-I fell."

He didn't seem convinced but left it at that. It didn't seem to bother him all too much, though- in fact, he seemed like he'd figured out in his head what had happened, though I truly _had_ told him the truth.

Hesitantly I asked, "Do people get hurt here a lot?"

For a moment, Len only blinked at me as though not understanding when it dawned on him. "Ah! Oh, um, yeah, kind of." He gave me a concerned once-over. "It depends what they do. When someone does something bad, they go down to the basement. Sometimes they're okay, sometimes they come out with funny colors, and sometimes, they don't come out at all." He smiled. "But those are only the **really** bad people."

That sounded like a lot of violence. My eyes had widened in surprise, but I'd said nothing more about it. Nothing serious, at least. "**Really** bad people? How do you know they're _really_ bad people? Do the really **good** people tell you so?"

"My momma tells me so," Len answered. "She's smart, really smart, and she's super important." His eyes glimmered. "Someday, when I grow up, I'm gonna be just like her!"

I'd wondered who his mother was exactly and why she was so special, but I realized I probably wouldn't understand his answer until I knew more about my new home, the same way I hadn't understood what the Nego-quadram was.

"Have you ever been hurt, Len?" I asked. "Have they ever given you booboos?"

He nodded. "Yep, of course! Everyone's gone to the basement before. It's scary, huh? Nobody likes it there. I don't get in much trouble, though, so I don't go down there much."

It amazed the five-year-old me how open he was about himself. All these things, though they didn't seem like it, were secrets. Now there was evidence, for I'd witnessed his telling me these secret gifts. Momma had always told me it wasn't smart to carelessly share information for it could easily be used against you.

"I don't know where Miku is anymore..." Len said, stopping and glancing around. "She might be waiting for us in her room, or she might also be gone with some other friends. I guess I'll show you around a little bit instead."

Frankly, I didn't mind too much. I didn't need two people to show me around, and it didn't matter to me which one it was. Actually, I didn't know if I even _wanted_ to play tourist. I was mixed between an immense feeling of curiousity versus an immense feeling of dread. I'd seen the basement already; What other horrors awaited me at this Terra Perfectionis? Did I really want to find out?

"The doors are locked right now, but this is the Nego-quadram." It would seem he didn't notice my hesitation. I hurried to catch up. "On Sunday, everyone goes there, and that's where we get our things. See my clothes?" He gestured down at himself.

I admired how clean his clothes seemed. An unbuttoned red plaid shirt over a plain black tee and brown khakis probably wouldn't seem like much to any normal child, but I wore nothing but an oversized holed tee-shirt and a partially ripped pleated skirt. Momma had found it in someone's trash can.

"My mum got these at the Nego-quadram by trading some of my baby clothes. You can trade anything you want," he explained. "Some people trade food, some people trade fabric, some people trade chairs or tables... You can trade anything, but only if people want it."

I stared at him cluelessly, which made him giggle. "Sunday, I'll show you! It's cool, really! I think you'll like it." He had a childish blush that even then I found cute. "Come on follow me!"

"This here is the library," Len told me. "Nobody goes there, but it's really big! It only has books, though. I don't know how to read yet, so it's no fun for me."

"I know how to read." Whenever we'd snuck into someone's house, Momma would look around for books. She'd read them to me and ask me tons of questions. I knew every letter and every sound. Ah, bih, cah, dih for a, b, c, and d. I could go all the way to z and even make words from those letters. Rr, ih, nah; Rin!

He looked impressed. "You can read? We don't know how yet. We learn that when we're six, I think..."

"Learn? We?"

"Don't you have school?" He looked at me strangely.

"Wh-What's... school?" I felt so embarrassed with the look he gave me. It was as if he couldn't believe I didn't know what 'school' was, and possibly even thought I was lying about it.

In the end, he shook his head and smiled. "I'll show you the classrooms later. Or, actually, the classrooms are right there. Why don't we just go now? You've been in one of them already- I saw you there. There's more though, some for bigger kids, some for littler kids... We're pretty little there, you know."

"I know." I'd seen a lot of bigger people where I'd lived.

"How do you know?" he asked.

His question took me off guard- I hadn't thought he'd really been paying attention. It made me like him more to know he had. "W-Well... My Momma and I lived in a dirty place, and we saw big people all the time. We saw grandmas, and big brothers, and mean daddies... Lots of people."

"Wow!" His eyes were so big and round, it made me giggle. I liked the way his eyes seemed to sparkle. "We don't have a lot of old people here. I don't know where they go. They just disappear, like magic!"

"Magic?" The fairy godmother in Cinderella used magic. So did all the evil witches. So... was magic good or bad? "What _is_ magic?" I asked.

"Magic?" He paused, cocking his head. "Um... Well, when something magical happens, it's... magic? Um..." He tried again. "When something really cool happens and you don't know how, I guess that's magic."

"But when the evil witch in Sleeping Beauty turned into a dragon, that wasn't cool, that was scary!"

"Sleeping Beauty?" It was his turn to look confused.

"You don't know what that is?" He shook his head. "Don't you know what Disney is?" Another blank look.

When Momma and I went to someone's house, she'd look through their movies. Movies were something you put into a 'magic' device she called a VCR. 'Disney movies,' she'd told me, 'are my favorite. I think I like Princess Mulan the best. Or maybe Cinderella; she's the most like us. We're just still waiting for our magic pumpkin.'

"Maybe they have movies here. If they have Disney movies, I'll let you watch them with me." For the first time since I'd arrived, I'd grinned at him.

How naive. Movies made you happy, yes, but they did nothing productive. To watch movies or TV was a waste of time when you could be sewing, learning, teaching... testing your fertility...

"Over here!" We turned back down the doorless hall, towards the place with the mean lady and all those children. I was a little nervous, but if Len was there... At least my leg had stopped hurting.

"That's the grade two resources class," he pronounced slowly, gesturing at the empty classroom. "I don't even know how many there are. A lot, I think. Like..." He counted his fingers. "Five, maybe. Or seven." He shrugged. "A lot."

I gazed in nervously. Almost immediately, flashbacks of the mean lady came back to me. I saw her yelling, remembered the way I was ambushed, and then the way Dell hit me down in the basement... "I want to go." I felt sick to the stomach.

"Eh? But there's still more-"

"I want to go," I repeated. Oh no, I couldn't even look anymore. I felt like I'd throw up. But why did I feel this way when it was my own fault in the first place?

He held my gaze for a moment then nodded in understanding. "Okay. We'll go see the art room next."

Just then, a group of girl appeared behind us. They chatted loudly as they walked down the hall. "Come on! We've got to tell Leia! Gee, I can't believe your letter came in, Taylor! This is so exciting!" They squealed in such a high pitch, I winced. I thought it funny to notice Len had done the same.

"What's all the yelling about?" A girl with bright orange hair came out from one of the halls. She looked about eleven and wore bright colors. Her face was splattered with freckles and her hair was pinned on one side. Her green eyes seemed mischievous, yet not at all cunning. Though beautiful, she seemed vicious and stupid.

"Leia, look!" A blonde girl ran up to her and thrusted a white envelope into her hands. "I got my letter!"

"Wow, that's so great!" They hugged and squealed some more. A girl with short purple hair joined them and soon the whole group was in a girly huddle.

"I can't believe I finally got my letter!" The blonde girl was in tears, which confused me. Why was she crying when she seemed happy? How strange.

"What's so important about this letter?" Perhaps I'd said it a little louder than I'd wanted to. The group of girls hushed and everyone stared right at me.

"Oh my, oh my!" The tangerine-haired girl stepped forward, squinting her jade-green eyes. "What's this? It couldn't be... an outsider, could it?"

"An outsider?" What was this again?

"Ha! Look at that! Master let in another evil-doer!" She cackled, glancing back at her friends. They all stared at me nervously, as if I would turn into a dragon like that fairy-tale witch. "So! What'chya gonna do to us?" the orange-haired girl questioned. "Cut us? Shoot us? Poison us? Ooh, that sounds like a good one. Maybe during a festival, you could poison all the food. We'd all eat it and die, and you and your demonic people would be so satisfied, wouldn't you?"

I blinked stupidly. "Huh?"

She snickered. "I don't get why Master even keeps you here. Who cares about stupid outsiders? Not me!" She took a step closer so I could feel her breath on my face. "I think outsiders are better off dead!"

Before I could even understand what was happening, I was on the ground clutching my knee, gasping. I'd only just registered that she'd kicked me when a second blow came to my side and pain exploded near my ribs. Why was she hurting me?! Was everyone here like Dell?! Why did they want me to die?!

A hesitant girl with hair of dark blue knelt down beside my head. "Go on!" the flame-headed girl encouraged. The girl of blue bit her lip nervously, and brought her fist down onto my face. I hadn't realized until then that my face was completely soaked in tears.

"H-HEY! Stop that!" That was Len's voice. Where was Len?! Why wasn't he stopping them?! I twisted to where I knew we'd been standing, but all I saw now where shoes, feet. I was surrounded by bigger kids, bad kids that wanted me dead. I didn't want to die!

"Pig!" A boy yelled. I hadn't seen him in the huddle before, which meant more and more people were becoming attracted to my pain. And none of them tried to stop each other.

"Murderer!" "Devil!" A kick to the shoulder. "Die, bitch!" Someone scratched my arm with sharp nails. "Go back to wherever you came from!"

"STOP IT!" At first, I'd thought it was me who'd yelled, when I noticed a slightly warmer atmosphere. I opened the eyes I hadn't known I'd been squeezing shut and tried to find who my savior was. He leant over me, protecting me with his own body, knowing they could go after him next.

"Go away, kid." "Mind your own business, kid." "Oh, hey, isn't he a council kid!" "Ha! You must think you're so tough!"

Red plaid fabric brushed against my face. "Leave us alone!"

I gasped, finally recognizing his voice. "Len?" I saw him glance under at me when I spoke his name, and so I knew it had to be him. It thrilled me. He really hadn't given up! He truly didn't want me dead!

"Ooh, you gonna tell on us, council kid?" a few boys jeered. They laughed amongst each other but walked away. I wondered to myself where all the extra people had come from.

Most of the crowd seemed to have dissipated, and so Len stood. He brushed the dust off his clothes and I noticed his elastic had nearly fallen out of his golden-blonde hair. He got that from protecting me. How I admired him to be so unselfish.

He smiled at me and held his hand out. Ah, my knee throbbed! Surely I'd be limping again and my stomach felt bruised. I'd probably _need _help getting up.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" It was the orange-haired girl again. I hated her smirk and that knowing look in her eye. I wanted to hurt her too, the same way she'd hurt me! "She's an outsider, dummy. Don't you remember what they did to us?"

Oddly enough, Len froze. His face paled, and for a moment, he looked... Well, I don't know. It seemed a mix of disgust, confusion, and fear.

"'There was nothing left but ashes, ashes and burnt remains,'" the girl quoted with a smirk, and that seemed to snap Len out of it. He grabbed my hand and pulled me up so fast, it hurt for a moment. He noticed though and quickly loosened his grip, pulling me as fast as he could through one of the adjoining corridors. I limped along as quickly as I could and ignored the pain, knowing he was doing this for my safety. I appreciated it.

Finally we stopped. It was dark and I could barely see a thing. I could feel him, though. He still had his hand around my wrist and I could hear him breathe. Inhaling and exhaling as quickly as I, though he not nearly as shocked.

"Th-They k-kicked me...!" The tears fell so easily. "Th-They don't even know me, a-a-and... and they kicked me! Why did they hurt me? Why did they want me to die?!"

I couldn't see him but I felt his gaze on me, felt his clothes brush against my skin as he stepped closer. "It's okay, Rin. I'm sorry, I didn't know they'd- ... I'm sorry."

Why was _he_ apologizing? He'd stopped them. He was my hero, the prince who'd come to save me from my tower, from my misery. I felt so grateful, I smothered my face into his shoulder and sobbed.

For a moment, he seemed like he didn't know what to do, but then I felt his hands wrap hesitantly around me. He seemed a little uncomfortable - after all, I hadn't even warned him before using him as a Kleenex - and so I let go and tried to pull away. I was surprised when his grip tightened and he wouldn't let me.

"I don't care if you're an outsider," he said. He sounded so determined. "I know you're not evil, Rin. Right?"

I couldn't answer. What had I done to be an 'outsider'? This whole time, I'd been indoors. What wrong had I done? Why did I have to be an outsider? Why not them? "W-What exactly _is_ an outsider?" I hadn't a clue.

At first I thought maybe he hadn't heard me. I was about to repeat the question when he answered, "Outsiders are people that aren't from the Terra Perfectionis." The way he said its name was different from the others. Everyone else said it with some strange accent, but Len spoke it in normal English, which I found I preferred.

"But I _am_ here!" I argued, not understanding.

"Now, yes, but you weren't here when you were a baby." Ah. It seemed much simpler now.

"Because I wasn't here when I was a baby, they wanted me to die...?" Perhaps simpler wasn't exactly the right word for it.

"Well..." He sighed and finally let go of me. I heard a click and a light bulb flashed. It hurt my eyes as I tried to adjust. "A long time ago- before I was born -there was something that happened." He sat down on the ground and I joined him, crossing my legs.

He gave me another hesitant look. "A long time ago, some outsiders came. They were evil and they got jealous because we're..." A pause. "Because we're 'prettier' than them. Or at least, that's what it says in the story!" He quickly added. "They got angry and brought fire with them. They put the Terra Perfectionis on fire, and hurt a lot of people."

"Really?" How awful!

"Actually, our teacher told us they killed our Master's daddy in that fire," Len confided, "but then she disappeared. That's why Mrs Kasane was there." He winked. "Magic!"

I didn't laugh. I hadn't missed the way he'd inched back just slightly, as if afraid I'd hit him. "Did all that really happen?"

He nodded. "The outsiders did it, people that don't live here. That's why the people here hate outsiders so much." He let out a nervous giggle. "I'm sorry, even **I'm** being a little distant. I'm sorry, it's just that... Even _I'm_ just a little afraid of the outsiders." Another small laugh. "I'm sorry. I promise, I'm not afraid of you, Rin." To reassure me perhaps, he lay his hand over mine and held it. "I won't let that happen again, okay? I'll protect you from now on, Rin!" He did a super hero stance and grinned, which made me giggle.

You know, Len, you probably shouldn't have said that. It only made you sound more princely and romantic to me. We could have avoided a lifetime of pain, if only you'd refrained from being... well, you. There are some things you shouldn't say or do, but you often seemed to forget that rule.

I glanced around at the stacked cardboard boxes framing the room. Some threatened to fall over, some towers stood strong and tall. "Where are we?"

"This is just one of the storage rooms," Len answered. "There are a lot of them."

"Oh." We didn't even have a bedroom at our home. Nor a bathroom.

"Are you bored?" he asked. "Cause we can go! You know... just saying!"

I glanced around at the dozens of boxes. "Can we, please? I don't like it here." Maybe I was unconsciously claustrophobic.

It seemed I hadn't even finished my sentence when the door opened. I was ushered out into the brightly lit hall, making me squint. "Mm... Bright lights sometimes made my momma dizzy," I said. Maybe they'd do the same to me.

"So you have a mom too?"

That was a strange question. Didn't everyone have a mommy? "Yes, of course I have a mommy! Don't you?"

"Yep!" Len smiled. "I have a mommy **and** a daddy, but not everyone does."

"I don't have a daddy."

"Told you; not everyone does." It seemed like everything that had happened inside that storage closet had been a dream; now, we were back to casual talk.

"Oh." I thought for a moment. "My momma loved me lots. She'd tell me everyday! She'd always give me hugs and kisses, and she taught me lots and lots! She told me she wanted me to be high up someday." A pause. "I don't know what that means, really."

"High up?" Len asked. "Like a ladder?"

I shrugged. "Maybe."

Len thought about it. "Maybe someone knows a secret passage to the roof. Then, we'd be the tallest of the world, and your momma would be proud!"

I smiled. "I'd like that." I was such a baby then; my eyes watered **again**. I fought to keep back the tears.

"So, was your momma pretty?" We walked down the hallway slowly, enjoying each other's company.

"Yes, she's very pretty," I said.

"What'd she look like?"

It was so funny, I'd thought, when I realized I couldn't really answer him. "Um... She had blond hair, and... she was very nice." Was that all I could remember?

"Oh, okay. She sounds nice alright. Do you miss her?"

Damn my emotions. "Y-Yes, I miss her lots and lots...!" I was crying again. Hadn't I cried enough today?

Len was about to say something- I'll never know what -when we reached the end of the hall. It nearly made me scream as I looked down my right and found _him _standing there.

His arms were crossed and his lips smirked at me. He had an elastic in his hair just like Len's, which made me wonder who'd gotten the style from who. Dell probably had it first. After all, he'd lived far longer than either of us.

"If you'll excuse me, Len," he apologized as he took hold of my wrist, "I have to give this girl a lecture. It isn't good to spread lies."

I wanted to object (for what lies had I told?), but he'd already dragged me into his office, which was conveniently placed only five feet away. The door slammed shut behind us and he roughly spun me. "I don't want to ever hear you mention your life before the Terra Perfectionis ever again," he hissed. "Your mother was an outsider, and so she must be hated. After all, she abandoned you, remember?"

Abandoned me?!

"What's with the face?" he asked, though I had a feeling he'd expected it. "Your mother _gave_ you to Cal. Don't you remember that? You were being a bad girl by running away. You're always running away, it seems. Maybe we should cut off your legs."

I let out a mix between a shriek and a choke, and he smiled. "Good. I think you know now what will happen if you ever mention your mother again. Do you?"

I couldn't resist. "But that's a lie!" I'd known for a fact my mother hadn't abandoned me. A few good whippings set me straight.

He slapped my face and glared at me venomously. "Never again will you dare oppose me. Have I made myself clear?"

His tone of voice was so sharp, so cruel, it made me sob some more. He'd kissed me! Didn't that mean he loved me?! Didn't it?! Why was he acting so cruel?! "D-D-Don't hit me!" I backed up a step. "Don't hurt me, please, I'm sorry! I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die!" How pathetic I must have sounded.

His eyes softened, though, and he sighed. He came closer to me and I let out a shreik as he reached for me. I thought he'd hit me again, I thought he'd kill me! Instead, he lifted my light body up into his arms, sighing once more as if he were being forced to carry me.

"I won't hit you," he promised, "but you have to learn your lesson. If you were anyone else, Rin, I wouldn't hesitate to slice off the tips of your fingertips. Consider this a warning to you instead."

The door opened and Len's head snapped up. I hadn't thought he'd wait for me and it somewhat pleased me that he had. For a split second, when I'd looked at him, I felt no fear. But then I thought of sliced fingertips and panicked, writhing in Dell's grip. He didn't seem to like that.

Even with a five-year-old in his arms, he opened the basement door with ease. He brought me down the stairs but skipped the uncomfortable futons. Instead, he brought me to the cage, the jail cell I'd seen before and despised. I liked it better than the mattresses, though.

He dropped me onto the floor inside, although I'd noticed he'd purposely let me fall onto his foot, so I wouldn't further hurt my bottom. It was almost as if he cared, for a moment, before he shut the cage door in my face. He locked it and held the key teasingly in front of his face. "You'll remain here until we find you a room to stay in," he instructed. "I will personally deliver you your food and water, to which you should be extremely flattered." He smirked. "I don't do that for just anybody."

Before I could stop myself, I blurted, "Why am I special?" He'd kissed me, he'd carried me, and now he was even admitting he didn't treat others the same way.

The smirk fell from his face and his expression turned deadly serious. For a second, a certain emotion flickered on his face. "No one has ever wanted to make me like them," he answered, his voice once again cold. He looked me over and scowled. "I wonder if you still feel that way now."

And so he left me locked in a cell, hungry and tired, without so much as a goodbye. And yet, I didn't hate him for it. In fact, he suddenly seemed more human than monster. 'All he wants is to be liked,' I thought. I should have known it wasn't that simple. Or was it?

About five minutes after Dell had left, I heard the door open again. Was this the food he'd mentioned he'd bring? Good- I was hungry. I began to wonder what kinds of foods they'd have at such a place. For some reason, hearing Dell admit I was special made me far more optimistic. I'd live through the judgment of others, outsider or not, because I was special. I'd make myself special! I'd be stronger than all of them! Instead of getting beat up _by_ them, _they'd _get beat up by me! I'd be the strongest princess there ever lived!

"Rin?"

I froze; that wasn't Dell's voice. Quickly I scrambled to the side of the cage, clinging onto the metal bars. "Len? Len!"

"I'm right here." I could see him. From the dull light, I saw his figure run to me, saw the worried expression on his face. "Are you okay?"

I reached out to him and smiled. "Len, are you allowed to be here?"

"Are you okay?" he repeated. He probably wasn't allowed. That just made me feel all the more special.

"I'm okay," I said. "No new booboos."

He sat down on the floor. "Rin-Rin, did you really lie to me? About your momma?"

Dell had told me he'd cut off my legs if I talked about my mother, and though that terrified me, I didn't like being thought a liar. Besides, he couldn't do that; I was special! "No, I didn't." He wouldn't be able to hear me anyway. "I don't think my momma gave me away." _'Think?' _Suddenly an image flashed in my head.

We were in a brick alley and I wore nothing but a worn-out pull-over. Momma wore a tee-shirt and a fur coat she'd stolen. I remembered it was extremely cold, and I'd complained about it, shivering and trembling. Momma right away gave me her fur coat, and so while I was nice and cozy, her skin was freezing in her thin short sleeves.

"I miss her..." I admitted sadly. No, no, I vowed not to cry anymore! It was still too early to break my promise!

Len held my gaze for a moment, cocking his head. "So... What's your favorite color?" he asked.

I was so surprised by his question, it took me a moment to answer. "Um, I don't really have one." What was with the randomness?

"Really? I like green. Green is cool. So is yellow, though." He paused thoughtfully. "What's your favorite shape?"

I understood now. He was asking simple questions on purpose to distract me! He was trying not to make me feel sad or lonely or angry or hurt; He was trying to make me feel happy! "I like stars."

"Yeah, me too. Stars are really cool! They're yellow too."

There are some thing you shouldn't say or do. Did you know that, Len? Or did you simply choose to disobey it? Already I was beginning to fall for you, Len. Could you tell? Probably not. But I know that, even if you did, you probably wouldn't have tried to prevent it.

If this is my castle, Dell must be the king. I'd be the princess, but I want you to be my prince, Len. Because the prince and the princess are the ones that live happily ever after in the end.

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_Aw, aren't I cheesy?_

April 18th, 2013 (12:43 am)

_This one was rather short compared to the others, I'm sorry. I just compared it to 3/4 of chapter 2, and... yeah. Chapter 2 seems a lot longer, although I don't have the exact word count of either._

_I may or may not be able to post this tomorrow (or rather, later today, considering what time it is. I'm tired), for I will be making the final preparations for my trip to Cuba~! *cheers* This trip will last a week, and I am not bringing any electronics AT ALL. Which therefore means... __NO UPDATES FOR A WHOLE WEEK.__ I'm more concerned for my own sanity than for yours. XD What will I do with my life?! ... Cuba-nize it. 8) Cool._

_Ah, I hate it when it's 12:51 am and I'm starving to death, yet I'm not allowed to go downstairs and eat something. GAH. I'M HUNGRY. IMMA EAT MY WEBKINZ. *om nom nom*_

**Question of the Chapter: NOOOOW do you like Len? :3**

_Please say yes. But don't lie, 'cause that won't help one bit. BE HONEST. BE TEAM LEN. (Oh who am I kidding? Practically everyone is Team Dell. XD ... Why is this turning into Twilight? o_o Team Len... WTF?)_

**Song of the Chapter: Night Walker, sung by Len Kagamine, by mayuko-P**

**Okay, let's put it simple: Rin murders Len. Len comes back to life as a zombie. Len goes after Rin. Len murders Rin in zombie form. Rin dies. Len finally got his well-deserved frickin' revenge. And they all lived (/died) happily ever after. The end! Seriously though, it's an awesome song.**

_Love,_

_Naty17 (Well who were you expecting? Barney?)_

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(1) ... For some reason, I can't help but feel Len looks/sounds gay here. XD I cannot write five-year-old characters, it seems!

(2) LOL, this mini-note is more for me than for you! I need to remember this so I won't have to keep checking Google Translate. XD Nego-quadram is the Terrians (LOL, Terrians) nickname for the negotientur quadratum, which is Latin for 'trade square'. I tried 'trade center' at first, but either I misspelled center, or center just isn't from the Latin language. *shrug* The Nego-quadram is exactly what it sounds like- a square to trade things in. See, I had a lot of trouble trying to figure out property rights for the Terra Perfectionis, seeing as they don't have any form of currency (money). I thought of everyone having equal things, but that would then force people to treat outsiders equally as well- and we can't have that! I like having some people higher than others, so I decided - just now - to do it the way Canadians used to do it: by trade. Hopefully, you may learn more about it in this chapter, but you may only learn about it later too.

(3) Think Mokona Modoka from CLAMP's Tsubasa/xxxHolic, but blue, and without the diamond in its forehead. Oh, and without the whole regurgitating apple thing. XD

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**Review, and I will love you. Don't review, and Dell will rape you.**

**(And Ducky-kun, if you're reading this, and you don't review... It won't be you Dell rapes. It'll be someone you hold very dear. I know you know who I'm talking about. *w*)**

**I'm serious about the Dell part. Look, Pedo-Dell is right here!**

**Dell: ... Pedo-Dell? Really?**

**Yep, that's your nickname. NOW GO! RAPE THOSE SILENT READERS!**

**Dell: ... Sure, whatever. Not like I have anything else to do...**

**BE AFRAID. XD**


	4. Don't Leave Me Hanging

**Puppy Mill**

**June 8th, 2013; 12:26 AM**

_Ain't nothin' worse than waking up one morning and realizing you're dead. *shakes head slowly* Sigh... (Randomness, don't ask. XD)_

**June 8th, 2013; 10:19 PM**

_Phew! Today has been a productive day. Last night I was babysitting (three boys) but when I got them to bed, I got to write for two hours before the parents came back. Most of that time was spent editing Chapter 1, which I will update eventually. I got home and went to bed at 2 AM. _

_The next morning (this morning) I forced myself up at around 11:00 AM (ugh, so tired...) and worked for roughly an hour. Dad came back, I ate food, and then I had a dilemma with the story which I needed to consult Remi-sama for. (Woo, look at that -sama! Ain't she special?) _

_I solved the emblem dilemma (well, Remi solved it, but close enough), then got distracted by ArsMagna (because all five of them are completely adorable and super talented dancers) along with other things, then started working on a new floor plan for this story here because I'd lost the old one, then Daddy managed to _**find**_ the old one (yay!), then I got distracted some more, erased the eight rooms and one hall I'd managed to draw at that point (LOL, it takes even longer on the computer!), then... I'm sure there was stuff in between, but eventually I started working on my new Avanna._

_Just a recap for those who don't know, I got Zero-G's Vocaloid 03 Avanna for my birthday two weeks ago (May 27th)._

_I was just fiddling around and randomly decided to make her sing Servant of Evil. ... In Japanese. ... Don't ask. I didn't even realize until I had 'Kimi' down that, 'Oh yeah, she's an Engloid. I should probably try making her sing an English song. Oh well.' Her Japanese is very good, though. XD I had two lines done when I decided I wanted to do something on time with the music. At that point I figured out I didn't want any automatic stuff (IT'S EVIL, I TELL YA!), so I scrapped that and started a new file. Two hours later, I had two lines of I (Love). ... :3 I'll admit I got pretty distracted by Remi and DuffQuick. Damn you, Skype...! Oh, and then about half an hour was spent trying to find the off-vocal, another five minutes was spent with us three gawking over the fact that there were hentai ads EVERYWHERE on the download site (like, WTF? I'm trying to download an instrumental- NOT A HENTAI FLASHGAME! D:), and then another five minutes was spent converting to MP3 into a WAV file. And then another five minutes was spent trying to figure out when the song actually starts. XD I mean, don't get me wrong, I knew where it should start with the whole 'I- blah blah I forget the lyrics... I- see how she fakes her affection', but it was really hard getting it to start at the EXACT right moment. And then, to my horror, I had to do the same thing eight more times just for ONE line. o.o In total I managed twenty-one different syllables before Dad kicked me off. XD It sounds pretty good, though. It's surprisingly easier than UTAU (then again, I haven't even managed to get the right Teto installed, so I have no right to compare) once you figure out what the hell you're doing, and it's actually a lot of fun!_

_Just for the fun of it, here are some things you should go search._

_Remi is an awesome fanfiction author. Her pen name is Catatonic Inspiration, and... well, just go read. She's got talent. ;) Oh, and she posted a little mini-story on there of us ranting about the infamously terrible fanfiction My Immortal, so go read that too._

_'I (Love)' is an awesome Gumi song by Circus-P. It's an English song that was actually done before Gumi English was released, using only Gumi Whisper. It's an answer song to 'Lie', by Luka (and, of course, Circus-P), which is also an awesome song. Actually, they were recommended to me by a reader, which I am very grateful for. They're so catchy!_

_ArsMagna is a dance group consisting of five awesome and super talented guys. Their dance cover of Invisible is amazing, and... they've also got a dance cover of Gigantic OTN. Now you _**know**_ you want to see it. Yes, I know you do~!_

_Hentai flash games are... No, I'm just kidding. XD Seriously, don't search THAT up. You'll regret it. ... Or... depending on the person, maybe you won't regret it...? o.o Just don't. Don't look up Boku no Pico either. BAD!_

_Umetora-P is my favorite producer. Seriously. He's amazing. His most popular song is 'If You Do, Do' (also known as 'Pomp and Circumstance' and not to be confused with If you doodoo... even though it sounds like it. XD), though he also has other awesome songs like Isshin Furan, Dancing Wildly, and a newer one, Jewel. He's my favorite, so you know he's gotta be good._

_Okay, I'm done now. ... You don't have to google that. (Googoore kasu~! You know, Go Google it? The song? ... No? Okay...)_

_You know, I haven't had an uber-long A/N for a while now. I guess this is my redeeming. Sorry Chiio-sama. XD (AND YOU'D BETTER LEAVE A REVIEW THIS TIME!)_

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**Anonymous Reviews**

**Guest: ****(****I DUN WANNA BE RAPED BY DELL! Anyway, awesome chapter! PLEASE Make More!)  
**_Tsk, tsk, you little liar! XD I'm just kidding, I'm just kidding. Thank you very much! I hope you'll like this next chapter!_

**Ownitlikeaboss: **_Aw, hello~! Ugh, who DOESN'T like Dell more? XD Len's a sweetheart and all, but… even I… kind of… … … Shoot. I'm into pedophilic relationships. o-o" WTF. NO. LOL, yeah, I was just like, 'Go away Miku, I need some Rin x Len fluff!' She kind of just… evaporated. Well, this one's got a lot of Miku to make up for it. She's quite sweet, really, and I'm sad so many people hate her. And yes, most people at the TP have horrible attitudes. XD It's just how they're raised. They're raised to be judgmental, so they act like complete asses. It's just how they roll. HA! Honesty is awesome. XD I'm sure Dell wouldn't mind raping you either. He'd mind even less if you resemble a cute blonde five-year-old, too. Just sayin'… *whistles innocently* I'm sorry, there's no Dell here. D': I know, I'm sad too. And yes, you DID just say that. ^^ You little sloot, hahaha! Oh, don't worry… Dell likes minors. XD_

**Guest: (I don't mind being raped by Dell. ;D LOL just kidding... I think... LOL if this was twilight, Dell would be Edward and Len would be Jacob. Loved this chapter! Len is adorable! :D I don't care who Rin ends up with, it'd actually be so awesome if she had a love triangle with Len and dell xD ...yep. Don't mind my weird brain)**

… _I've been compared to Twilight. … I'm not sure whether or not to be flattered or disgusted. XD LOL, yeah, Dell would be Edward because they are BOTH creepy! Yay! Oh, you think it'd be cool if she had a love triangle like that? Well then, have I got some good news for you… It IS a Rin x Len x Dell love triangle! YAY! And, I will never EVER mind a weird brain. Hell, do you think I'd be able to write this if I DIDN'T have a weird brain? Be proud of that brain, hun. Be PROUD. XD_

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**Chapter 4 – Don't Leave Me Hanging**

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All my life I'd found Sundays exciting.

Sundays were the days ceremonies took place, the days special news was announced, the days Invalids and Outsiders would be given extra food. Not only that, but Sunday was also the assigned date for the Nego-Quadram to take place.

I ran alongside Len as we hurried to the large room, the room with the wide double-doors that only ever opened on Sundays. Every time I entered, I couldn't help but gawk at it all. There was just so much different stuff, of all colors, sizes, and shapes! Different stands lined the walls filled with various treats and trinkets as well as the things necessary for most of our existences.

Most stands were made of wooden tables (built by the people of the Terra Perfectionis of course) with cardboard signs advertising products such as vegetables, dairy products, clothes, metal trinkets, and any other thing one could imagine at the Terra Perfectionis. My favorite stand was run by a Pure-Bred Invalid who sold books. I loved books with a passion, though I was never allowed near her stand. Despite her Invalid status, she still strictly followed rules; I wasn't allowed within five feet because of the special mark on my neck. It didn't matter either way, for I had nothing to trade for the books, nothing at all.

Entering the market, a female Invalid to our right sold jewelry made of precious stones, while to our left a male shouted out various names of fish. The scaly creatures were all neatly aligned on his table, glimmering in shades of green, blue, and purple. Their dead eyes eerily seemed to watch me, yet I found this intriguing. Didn't fish close their eyes in death? Could they still see me, despite being lifeless? No matter how curious they made me, I dared not touch a product meant to be sold, no matter how tempting it was to feel their glimmering scales on my fingertips- I'd be given quite a scolding if I did. I'd never tasted fish before, but hoped that someday I'd have something to trade in for it.

Len took my hand and pulled me towards the middle of the room. This was the grains' stall where you could buy sugar, flour, wheat, et cetera. It was run by yet another female Invalid. It was extremely rare for a male to be turned Invalid; either they were granted chances again and again or they were quieted.

"One bag of sugar, one bag of flour and two bags of salt," Len ordered. The Invalid hurried around to fulfill his demands and came back with the necessary items. Len opened the bag he'd brought along with him and took out three bi-colored cylinders he called 'batteries'. The Invalid cringed but took them without complaint.

Batteries are supposedly little towers of energy. Some items from the Outside require them for use and batteries cannot be made within the Terra Perfectionis. The only ones who have them are council people and Invalids, who sell them during the Nego-Quadram. Invalids and Outsiders don't usually have much need for them. We don't usually get the privilege of electronic objects.

We continued to the animal section next where Len asked for two dozens of eggs, two cartons of milk and one pack of sliced pork. Most people at the Terra Perfectionis didn't eat meat, considering it a waste of milk-producers, but I'd tried it once before thanks to Len. It was delicious! Unfortunately, it was also very expensive. Len had to give two of his batteries out for the pork on its own plus three more for the rest he'd bought.

"What is your momma making you for dinner?" I asked him cheerfully.

"_My_ momma? Um... I don't know," he responded. "She just told me to get her these things, but she never told me what for."

While Len would be enjoying a nice meal, I'd be waiting with the other Outsiders for the leftovers. Anything Pure-breds decided to donate as well as anything that had not sold and eventually turned bad would go to us. There were more Invalids than Outsiders and never enough food, so this was the one place the peace rule could be revoked. Rather than sharing equally, making sure all had their share followed by everyone's grumbling stomachs the rest of the night, the Pit was quite competitive a place. If you wanted food, you had to be quick enough to get it. People would arrive and dump leftovers into pigs' troughs and we had to push and shove each other to gain our fill. Despite being small, I never starved.

Sometimes I was jealous of Len for having a mother. I'd never met her but she obviously took enough care of him to give him food and clothing and other nice things. What had mine done? She'd sold me to this place as if I were only a pest she had to get rid of. I hated her for doing that but knew it'd probably been better for me in the end; the Terra Perfectionis was a much better place compared to the Outside world. The Outside world was reigned by guns and crying and hatred while the Terra Perfectionis was far more civil. It'd been far better for me to have been left here instead of that sad place outside those doors, but sometimes I wondered what my mother could have been doing right now. Was she happy without me? Did she ever think of me from time to time? It hurt me to wonder.

While Len continued on towards the vegetable stand, I lingered by the fabric section. This was always crowded with Pure-bred women and girls, for fabric was one of the most worthy buys there. One could trade it for very little, sew it together into clothing, and then trade it back with higher worth. It was the most popular source of income among women and all learned to sew eventually. Or at least, all with mothers. Because I was an orphan (a trait I shared with every other Outsider), I hadn't a mother to teach me the basic ways of life. Without the ability to sew, I was far behind all regular girls and would be forced to eat from the Pit the rest of my life. (Perhaps that was just me being pessimistic, but it often felt this way.) It was an important skill I lacked, but who would teach me? Rarely would Pure-breds ever even come near me. All because of the emblem on my neck.

Len too was an only child, as was Miku. Actually, Miku told me an important secret once: A long time ago, she'd been supposed to have a little brother, but he apparently died very little. As I grew older I realized he was more likely quieted than lost.

Beside the fabric stand was a Pure-bred woman selling infant's clothes, most likely pass-me-downs, but two stalls away was an accessory booth that I knew sold only things made by the man and his pair. It was even written on the sign.

I always paused there to admire it all. I often saw the female, a Pure-bred named Felicia, buy beads at the crafts' stall; she was one of their few customers. She slid her precious beads onto thin silver wires and made them into earrings and necklaces and other pretty things. Along with that she'd make multicolored headdresses, wire ribbons that tied easily, tiaras made entirely of wire and beads, veils made only with transparent fabrics and more. She was a talent to behold and their booth did very well.

I gazed longingly at a spiral ring dotted with amber-colored beads. How pretty it was... "Hey! Scram, you little Outside brat!" Like most Pure-breds, this man wasn't fond of us lower-rankers. I liked Felicia, who'd once given me a blue beaded hair clip, but I definitely didn't like her scary pair. I quickly scurried away to where Len was.

"Hey," he laughed as I clung onto his arm. "Rinny, what are you doing?"

I was going to tell him about the scary man but couldn't take my eyes off the booth. When I grew up and finally had my own pair, I'd make him get me something pretty from that booth. I hoped he would.

Len followed my gaze and made a small hum sound. He reached into his pocket and gave the Invalid four batteries then gave me his heavy basket. "Could you please hold this for a second, please?" I watched him go back to the stand and followed him a few steps behind. I couldn't hear what he was saying but saw him point and give the man two of his batteries. Normally, two batteries would have been far too much for such simple things, but this stand was an exception. Like I'd said, homemade items were worth more than Outside-made products, no matter what.

The man handed him the item with his usual grouchy look and Len thanked him. Then, he turned to me. "Close your eyes, Rin!"

I had some problems with trust. I was always afraid that when I wasn't looking, some mean Pure-bred would push me off my feet and hurt me like they had so many times before. But I trusted Len. Len wouldn't let them hurt me. After a moment's hesitation I closed my eyes, tensing slightly. I felt him walk up behind me and flinched. I couldn't help myself- my brain just for a moment doubted it was Len and felt enemies surrounding me, ready to hurt me. I scolded myself; it was just Len! Len wouldn't hurt me! Despite myself I flinched again when I felt his hands in my hair.

He lifted my short golden locks and slid something underneath then wrapped it around my head and made a knot on top. I knew what it was already but it didn't stop me from feeling the top of my head and asking. "Look!" he answered, pointing at a mirror on the booth. "It looks so pretty on you, Rin!"

He'd bought me a white wire ribbon. It was twisted rather crookedly which I quickly straightened, but it just looked... right. It looked like it belonged on my head. Of course, I was only thinking that because Len had bought it for me. He could have bought anything available at that booth and I'd've been convinced it was meant for me. It didn't matter: I loved it.

The grouchy man suddenly noticed me there and eyed me suspiciously. Then his gaze locked on the black emblem on my neck and his eyes flared. "We don't sell things to Outsiders!" he roared.

"Sir, I bought it!" Len spoke up, sounding a little scared himself. I didn't blame him; the man was five times his size.

The man ignored him and aimed his hand to the bow in my head. I saw him coming for me, saw a blurry vision of his hand coming for my head, and stood completely still. Terror had frozen my nerves, my muscles, my bones. At the last second I snapped to and my reflexes finally kicked in. I backed away so quickly I fell onto my bum and his hand gripped thin air where my new white bow had been.

"Rin! Are you okay?"

Len was right in front of me, blocking my vision of the giant ogre behind him. Without thinking I shoved him off of me. "Len! Len!" The ogre-man was coming around his booth now, raging eyes locked onto me. "LEN!" I screamed.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" Everything went quiet in the normally loud room. Murmurs of conversation died, children stopped playing, owners stopped debating. They all stared right at us and the big ogre-man. Len stood up on his feet and glared. "Don't touch her, or I will have you quieted!" My eyes nearly bulged at the threat, as did the ogre-man's. "My momma is on the council; you know I can do it. If you don't want Quietus, then leave us alone and go on with your life!"

The murmuring returned and I heard the word 'Outsider' enough times to know they were speaking of us. The ogre-man glared at me one more time, a warning to never again approach his shop, but backed away. I watched Len in admiration as he helped me up. "W-What happened?" I asked.

He only smiled. "We're okay now. He won't bother us." He refused to explain.

I was shocked. Everyone who understood English knew what Quietus meant and feared it. Quietus was to be sent away to a place worse than the Outside, a place where one could never return. Being the age I was, I didn't understand it completely, only knowing it was bad, very bad to be quieted.

We quickly made our way to the doors and I softly asked, "Is your momma really on the council, Len?" Again, he didn't answer. He'd mentioned before that he didn't like some of the things his mother did. To me, that was ridiculous, for the one thing I wanted most in the world was my own mother, but he didn't follow up when I asked what his mother had done to upset him. I knew he wouldn't want to talk about it and swallowed my temptation.

We relaxed as we stepped into the hall. Normal six and seven-year-olds wouldn't have been able to recuperate so quickly from something so traumatic (or at least, traumatic in their perspective), but this was something they were both used to. I was used to being pushed around and hurt by others and Len was used to saving me from it. I felt bad about it, especially when someone tried striking out at Len because of me, but Len wouldn't listen. He was taken with being my hero. It was just who he was.

"Len, is Miku still sick?"

"I think so." Our biggest source of concern at the moment was directed at pretty Miku. Miku had been bedridden for over a week now and no matter what time we went to visit her at, she was always sleeping. "Actually, I think they even took her to the medicine wing." He sounded worried for her but was nothing compared to _my_ outburst.

"WHAT?!" I tugged on his shirt. "We need to go see her, we need to go see her! Len, why didn't you tell me it was this bad? You told me it was a cold, just a cold!"

I felt strongly for Miku. She was like an older sister; she introduced me to her friends (though it never seemed to work out), defended me when someone threw an insult my way and played with me even though no one else would. I admired her so, wished I were as beautiful and kind as her, and of course, as pure-bred as her. Apart from Len, Miku was my only real friend and it hurt me to know she was sick.

"Come on!"

"Wait! Rin! You might not even be allowed in!" I began running towards the medicine wing and when he saw I wouldn't stop, Len followed. "Rin, wait for me!"

The Nego-Quadram was very close to the medicine wing. We ran down the hall and turned right when we reached the library. Once there, all we needed do was follow down straight and we were there. The medicine was very large because not only did it cover serious emergencies, but minor injuries as well. If a child cut his finger and his parents had no bandages, he was sent to the medicine wing to get one. If someone fell down the stairs and bruised their knee, the medicine wing was where they'd go to get ice. If a person had their arm broken as punishment, the only place to get a splint was at the medicine wing. It covered all different kinds of emergencies, making it a very busy place.

I ignored the lobby-lady and quickly sped into the hall where I knew the patient's wards were. Once I'd been kept in one of them after a particularly severe beating. I poked my head into each room, trying some and finding them locked. Perhaps it would have been wise to stop at the desk and ask for Miku's room number, but I hadn't had the time for that. Len probably had.

The door to Miku's room was open. I knew it was her from the long teal hair cascading off her bed and rushed inside. I stared sadly at my dear friend lying on the thin white cot. She looked not much different from the last time I'd had seen her two days before apart from her face. Her mouth was now stretched into a pained grimace as if she was hurting from the inside and her skin was very pale. It worried me as I stood there watching.

Ring, Miku's mother, sobbed in a chair placed beside the bed. "I didn't mean to hurt her, I didn't mean to!" she cried. "I thought she'd like it and it was such a rare thing... I didn't mean to hurt her...!"

Ring looked a lot like her daughter. They both their long blue hair, though Ring wore it straight rather than in pigtails like her daughter's. Both of them had the same face too, the big teal eyes, the small upturned nose, the wide mouth. The only difference was the obvious older age. There were always bags under Ring's eyes and her face was thinning out. She always seemed tired and depressed, even when there was good news to be told. Now, with bad news, she looked like death was at her door.

"Oh, they're letting people visit now." Len came up to my side, panting slightly from the running. "She doesn't look much better, does she?"

"I didn't mean to hurt her!" Ring crowed in her corner.

"Not at all, Len-Len..." I glanced over at the middle-aged woman. "Neither of them look good." I pressed my hands onto Ring's knees to get her attention. "Do you think she'll be alright?"

Ring, like Miku, didn't make a big deal over Outsiders. It seemed they didn't care. This in itself made me like them. "No... No...!" she sobbed, though I wasn't sure whether or not she was answering me or sharing her grief. I waited for her to calm down. "T-The doctors... She might not make it! She might not make it, and it's all my fault...!"

"Might not make what?" I asked obliviously.

"What?" Len exclaimed, eyes wide. "Are you serious?" All Ring did was cry.

"I don't get it! What's she mean?"

Len stared at me for a long time before finally answering. "It means we might lose her."

Though very much alike, Loss and Quietus were also very different. When someone was quieted, it meant they were banished for doing something bad. When a person was lost, however, it meant that no matter what doctors and others did to try and save this person, he or she never woke up. The person's soul floated out of their body without any way of return, no matter how good that person had been during life. There was nothing anyone could do.

It scared me, especially when I looked back at Miku's unmoving body. She looked dead. Maybe we'd already lost her, maybe she was already gone. Without wanting to, I began to cry. It made me feel even worse! Not only would it make Ring cry harder - which it did - but it also made me look weak to Len. I too often felt weak in front of him and it was always him saving me. Sometimes I wished I could save myself.

"Excuse me?" A doctor in a long white coat entered the room.

Doctors were very important at the Terra Perfectionis. Only the smartest and worthiest could become doctors and neither Outsider nor Invalid was allowed that right. They were given remedies to trade which were extremely valuable, especially to the many women expecting. Not many people had official jobs at the Terra Perfectionis, but for most employments, you were considered special if you were assigned to one. Unless you were stripped to becoming an Invalid, that is.

"Is the official guardian of Miss Miku present?" At the Terra Perfectionis, no two people shared a name. This way, people were easily recognized and not confused.

Ring stood. "Y-Yes?" Desperately she clung to his coat. "Please tell me, is she going to be okay? Will we lose her?!" She sniveled pathetically and the doctor cringed.

"Please, control yourself," he demanded, pushing his glasses up the ridge of his nose. "I came here to ask once more for your story, if you don't mind. May I?"

"I-I...!" Ring dropped to her knees in misery. "I want to know the condition of my daughter, sir."

"And you will," he assured her, "once I confirm the details of your story."

I gazed at Len curiously. Was he talking about what had made Miku sick? Did Len know what had happened to Miku?

"I-I... Two weeks ago, Miku started complaining about how she wasn't feeling well. I let her go to classes for a few days until she threw up on... the fourth day, I think." Ring swallowed noisily, her eyes scanning the room restlessly. "I kept her home and took care of her and she slipped with... _it_." 'It'? "She slept through nearly the whole day after that, getting up to eat and draw pictures, and the day after that was the same. Yesterday, though... Yesterday, she slept the whole day through. She only woke up for five minutes to vomit on herself and passed out even before I finished cleaning up."

The doctor nodded. "Now tell me more about that stuffed doll of hers."

A stuffed doll? "She calls it Chii-choo," Ring said. Ah, yes, Chii-choo. Miku had showed it to me nearly immediately after I'd arrived, bragging about how rare it was. Chii-choo was a pale blue velvet rabbit-like creature with long ears and a plump body. He felt soft to the touch and was fun to squeeze. His eyes were just black little marbles and he never smiled, but I'd been a little jealous that she had something so special. She did however share with me whenever I asked, so she wasn't only rubbing her belongings in my face. Miku wasn't like that, Miku didn't brag. She just had everything I'd ever wanted.

"I already gave it to you, since you mentioned you thought that was what..." she trailed off. "I got it for her almost a year ago but she kept it on the shelf. She complained that it stank and I thought nothing of it. Then, about six or seven months ago, she realized it was rare and started playing with it all the time..."

Six months ago? That was when I'd first arrived here. Was it maybe my fault somehow? The part about it stinking did ring a bell. Often I complained about his smell, and always she'd answer, 'He always smells like that.' But maybe it'd actually been my fault he began to smell as he did. Somehow, maybe I'd done something...?

"You skipped the process of possession of the stuffed animal," the doctor sniffed. "Please clarify."

"Process of...? Oh." She nodded, seeming to understand, as I stood with question marks floating around my head. "I... I got it at the Nego-Quadram."

The doctor's head snapped up. "You didn't mention that when I last questioned you. Perhaps you were too much in a state of shock to remember..." He suddenly seemed very interested. "Go on, please."

"I..." Ring squirmed. "An Invalid- she was selling dishrags and towels. She called to me and showed me the doll, and I... I...!" Tears slid down her cheeks as she launched into a coughing fit.

"I need you to calm down to be of any use to me, please." I didn't like this doctor. Somehow it felt wrong to blackmail Ring this way, to get her to tell her story by withholding information about her daughter's life.

"I..." She gulped. "I thought she'd like it, so I bought it for her, and..." A wretched sob escaped her throat.

"Very well, I see there isn't much of great importance proceeding its purchase. Can you recall this Invalid's appearance?"

I helped Ring back into her chair. She seemed so fragile, perhaps even at par with her unconscious daughter. "T-The first thing I saw was... the ex on her neck."

The doctor rolled his eyes and sighed. "Every Invalid has an ex on their neck. It's their marking. Knowing this really won't get us very far."

"Let her talk!" I yelled at him. He rolled his eyes once more but didn't speak.

"I... I didn't pay very much attention to her looks. She just seemed a regular merchant, but... I remember she had dark hair, and... pointy eyes."

"Was her hair short or long?"

Ring struggled to remember. Her eyes raced around the room wildly and she seemed extremely stressed. "Sh-Sh-She... I don't know! I think... she had long hair." She shook her head. "I don't know!"

The doctor sighed in annoyance and wrote in a clipboard he'd picked up. "Very well. If you cannot help any further, I suppose I must take my leave."

"Wait!" Ring reached out to him. "M-Miku! You promised!"

The doctor frowned then let out a small 'Ah' as he understood. "The girl's condition. Yes, yes, very well." He nudged up his glasses and cleared his throat. "We ran some tests on the doll and discovered that it was indeed filled with poisonous chemicals. We are certain that these are what caused Miku's condition and that these chemicals will not be found within our community. Therefore, as you've explained, it must be an Invalid's fault."

Ring's eyes widened. "Are you trying to say that someone...?"

The doctor nodded. "It seems so. It is very probable someone purposely tried to cause your daughter harm."

I thought Ring would faint then and there.

"Thankfully, because we were able to identify the source of sickness so rapidly, there is little chance of losing your daughter. The chemicals were absorbed through the air which means that so long as the child is no longer breathing the poisons, her body should be able to naturally rid itself of the unwelcome and the sickness will revert itself automatically. There is, therefore, very little chance of loss in this case."

Ring seemed only slightly relieved. "Someone... tried to quiet my daughter. It isn't just loss, it's Quietus! Someone tried to quiet my daughter when she did nothing wrong!" Ring began to tremble. "That isn't right! That's against the rules!"

"Shh...!" I tried to calm her down. Len quickly came to her other side. "It's alright, Miss Ring. Didn't you here? Miku's going to be alright! You can relax. Everything will be fine..."

"I'm glad you've understood so well, Miss Ring," the doctor said. "Yes, whoever the perpetrator is has committed an illegal gesture and shall be quieted when found. We _will_ find her. The council is already working to solve this matter. Everything shall be well classified." He nodded. "I thank you for your time."

And then he left. Ring, who'd been forcing herself to stay strong while the doctor was there, finally collapsed and resumed her crying. I gazed at Len. "Someone... tried to hurt Miku? Why?"

Len knew much more about the Terra Perfectionis than I. Sometimes I wondered if he'd been hoping for a spot on the council, but he often seemed very against the way things worked there. Maybe he just paid strict attention to the rules to make sure he didn't break any. "Some people- usually Outsiders -don't agree with some of the rules here." He seemed reluctant to go on, especially knowing I myself was an Outsider. He always seemed hesitant to speak about them as if worried he'd offend me.

"Why not?" I asked.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I don't understand why not. My momma says they're a little wacky. Sometimes, though, these people get really mean and scary. Sometimes they try to run away to the Outside, and once in a while, they even try to destroy the Terra Perfectionis, home. It isn't good because whenever they try to do that, people get hurt." His eyes narrowed and his nose twitched. "I hate it when people hurt others on purpose."

My eyes widened. Of course I'd always known he detested seeing people get hurt but it suddenly threatened me, in a strange way. I felt a chill run down my spine as if my body already knew it would disappoint him. But it just didn't make any sense. "S-So what happens when they catch those people?" I asked.

He hesitated and answered only with "You'll see." He seemed certain whoever had done this would end up caught, so I believed him. After all, Len was nearly always right. A month later, his prediction came true.

* * *

I rushed in wide-eyed and panting. "Is everything okay?!"

Four doctors surrounding Miku's cot loudly murmuring amongst each other. Ring sat horrified on her chair in the corner, watching them, and I knew something had to be wrong. I'd known it as soon as I'd seen the doctors rush in.

"H-Her heart," Ring mumbled dazingly. She'd probably gone into shock. Her eyes glazed over and her face seemed to age five years. I felt bad for her, but right now, I was just as stressed as she. I rushed up to Miku's side, poking my head between two lab-coat-clad adults. They hissed in annoyance and barked orders of some kind, but I couldn't hear them anymore. All I could see was Miku.

Her skin was so pale it seemed blue and her face was contorted into an even stronger grimace than before. She'd lost a lot of weight the last few days. Her hands were thin and boney and her ribs were a little more protruding than they should have been, but the scariest thing of it all, the one thing that made me feel like crying, was that she didn't seem to be breathing.

A fifth, younger-looking doctor tugged the back of my dress, one of the only four I owned. He smiled at me kindly as he guided me away from them and warned me not to intrude while the doctors performed such an important task. "Your friend's heart has stopped and I know that seems scary, but I promise you, she'll be alright," he assured me. He went on about how effective the doctors here were and how very few people ended up lost, but it all sounded like another language to me. Miku's heart had stopped. Miku was on the verge of death. It was all I could think about.

I joined Ring, both of us in our own bubble of shock. "She might not make it..." It took about five to ten minutes to get Miku's heart back to normal, but to the both of us, it felt like hours. Len probably hadn't even heard of this yet, or else he would have been here with me, holding my hand, reassuring me all would be fine in the end. I felt even more alone without him here.

The doctors congratulated each other as they hooked her up to a monitor. Strange waves traveled through the small screen accompanied by loud beeps. "It's her heartbeat," the youngest doctor said with a smile. "I told you they'd do it." But had they really?

It'd been only six days since Miku had been accepted within the medicine wing and already she'd nearly died. Tomorrow, what if they weren't fast enough to fix her? In two days, what if they decided it was best to Deliver her and take her out of her misery rather than spend all this time keeping her alive? What if in a week from now, I'd never see her ever again?

My sniffling made Ring jump. "Y-You're... crying?" I wiped at my tears and nodded pathetically, the big white bow on my head threatening to fall off. Ring was silent. For a moment, just the slightest bit of a second, she reached out to me, as if to hold my hand. She gave up midway and pulled her hand back. I didn't mind so much; I was too taken with the fact that she'd actually tried touching me, comforting me. I was an Outsider! Most would smile if they found me crying, laugh at the funny noises I made. No one would dare try and make me feel better- no one but Miku and Len. And if we lost Miku, then just Len...

I made a promise to myself to try becoming closer to Ring, close enough that she wouldn't hesitate to pat my head, close enough that she'd treat me as her own daughter...

That promise was quickly forgotten.

Once the room was emptied again I stood and walked up to Miku's side. Ring had fallen asleep during the enormous period of time when the staff had been 'packing up' their things. She seemed a lot more peaceful within her dream-world.

Miku's skin was already gaining back some of its color though she was still sickly pale. I wondered what the doctors had done exactly. The fifth one had probably explained it to me already but I hadn't really listened to anything he'd said. At least her chest rose and fell rhythmically as it had before. At least she was still breathing.

"Excuse me?" a woman interrupted. "We need to disperse all visitors so Miku may have her nap. Thank you." She shooed the both of us into the hallway. I was still in shock and Ring probably wouldn't leave even if the building was on fire. She was always there no matter what time I'd visit.

We both stood there in front of the doorway, staring as if we would magically be provided x-ray vision to gaze at the girl within. "She's too young..." Ring whispered to herself.

"There are younger."

She flinched at the sound of my voice as if she'd forgotten I was there, but soon relaxed again (or, relaxed as much as was possible for Ring). "Rin... that's your name, right?" I nodded. "Rin," she repeated thoughtfully, "you're a special child, aren't you? You and Len both... all three of you, you're so special..." She looked on the verge of tears again.

My heart wept for her and my eyes didn't water, but I couldn't let myself cry. If I cried, Ring would only feel worse. I had to stay strong for her and every other around me. "I'm not special," I mumbled. "I'm just an Outsider." I decided to leave before my tear ducts exploded.

I didn't know where to go and decided to stop at the bathroom. Afterwards, I'd head to the library.

As I stood in front of the sink washing my hands, a Pure-bred girl entered. She had mid-back length black hair that was pinned up cutely on both sides of her head. Her eyes were a dark gray and very wide. On a scale of one to ten in beauty, she was probably a six or a seven.

She started for one of the stalls then stopped and glanced at me. Her eyes locked onto the emblem on my neck and she squeaked, quickly locking herself into one of the stalls. Maybe she thought my eyes were lasers, that if we stared at each other too long, I would melt the inside of her brain. Or maybe, like many others, she simply clung to the belief that I was contaminated.

I sighed and rose higher on my tip-toes, trying to see myself in the mirror. Finally I gave up and lifted myself onto the porcelain surface. On my neck was the mark I hated so much; The Outsider's emblem.

The Outsider's emblem was a thickly-lined circle on one's skin with darker smudges within. 'What is it supposed to be?' I once asked Dell. He'd looked up from his papers and fixed his attention onto me. 'Hm? Your mark?' He'd shuffled a few papers around. 'It's supposed to represent a dirty earth- the opposite of a perfect community. It represents where you're from.'

I traced it. I remembered how I'd gotten it. It had stung so badly when Dell had stamped it onto me- I'd been squirming so much, Cural had had to force me into bindings, chaining my hands and feet away from my body. And then the stamp... the stamp had been so hot it glowed red and hurt like flames when pressed against my pale neck. For days the spot had been burned red and I'd had to put special ointment on it to prevent blistering. Now, it was forever there.

Forever I would be reminded of my difference, my flaw. Forever I would curse myself for it and someday, I would find a way to take it off.

That too was a promise I never saw through.

* * *

A few days later Miku woke up, but was so out of it, it was like keeping company to a zombie. She mostly slept and woke only long enough to eat and maybe to listen to us talk a little. Gradually she began getting better though and now, a month later, she was nearly back to normal.

"I'm really glad you're okay."

"Oh Rinny," Miku laughed. "You say that every time. Quit being such a worry-wart! You're even worse than Len!"

I frowned at her. "You have no idea how scared we all were. We thought we were going to lose you. Weren't you scared of Loss?"

Miku shrugged. "I didn't really get what was going on. I don't really remember much at all..." She sighed. "I can't believe Chii-choo did this to me... They're going to quiet him too, so I won't be able to play with him anymore at all!"

"Aren't you angry?" I asked her, surprised by her casualty.

Again, all she did was shrug. "I didn't realize what was happening. It didn't _feel_ like I was dying, so I'm not _really_ that angry. Besides, it could have been an accident, too! Maybe it wasn't her fault!"

I didn't answer. I was sure it was done on purpose, especially after Len had told me protests like this happened often, but I wouldn't spoil Miku's mood. While she should have been angry in my opinion, it was probably better for her to be as content as she was. It was probably better for her not to remember how sick she'd been. I wish I could forget it as well.

I let out a shaky breath. "I... I just can't believe it... It was so scary! I thought I was going to lose you forever!" I sniffed and wiped at my eyes to prevent any tears from escaping. Thankfully, they were only tear-glazed without threat of them falling. Good.

"Aw, Rinny!" She beckoned me over and wrapped her arms around my smaller body. I flinched, as I always did when people touched me, but didn't pull away. I liked being held. It made me feel warm and safe and loved.

While it wasn't considered a rule, it wasn't considered right to show very much affection to others in public. With a person's pair, it was alright to touch and smile and love, but between anyone else, even parent and child, just touching was something to be frowned upon. Miku never seemed to care for those rules. Even in a full room of adults, she'd hold my hand if I felt nervous. Their frowns would turn into grimaces as soon as they spotted the mark on my neck, but Miku didn't mind. It was one of the many things I loved her for.

I tentatively squeezed my own arms around her waist which made her giggle. "Aw, Rin-Rin! You like being cuddled, don't you?" Her eyes sparkled. "When we grow up and get our own pairs, I'll make sure yours cuddles you all the time, okay?"

Oh, pairings. That was a topic every girl talked about here. It was just so exciting! "Who do you think your pair will be?" I asked her curiously.

"I don't know," Miku admitted. "I just hope it won't be with some older guy..." She stuck out her tongue. "Some people get stuck with adults instead, which must really suck."

I nodded in agreement. "I don't want to be with an adult."

Miku examined my face and tilted her head thoughtfully. "Maybe you'll get paired with Len, Rinny-Rin. We learned in class that people like yellow hair a lot."

"Blonde," I corrected without thinking and blushed. It came from the reading I often did.

"Mm-hm. Well, you and Len both have yello- I mean, blonde hair. Because they really like blonde hair, maybe you'll be paired together so your babies will have yellow hair too." She grinned at her own logical inference which made me smile too.

"I hope it's Len," I confessed. "I like Len. I want my pair to be with someone I like instead of a stranger. And..." Unconsciously I stroked the mark on my neck. "If it's a stranger, they might not like me, because of..."

Miku tsked. "If they don't like you because of that, then they're just stupid. I like you lots and lots, and I don't care 'bout where you came from. I'm glad you came here!" She squeezed her arms a little tighter.

I made a low purr sound. "Me too. I'm happy you're my friend." In some books I'd read, when the girl confessed the words 'I like him', her friends immediately began harping on her about who it was, why it was, and other small details. Here, there was no such thing as 'liking'. There were no childhood crushes, no teenage romances. There was only Union.

Just then there was a knock on the door. We released each other and turned to find a coat-clad woman waiting for us. Her black hair was tightly drawn into a bun and her eyes were very pale. She wore glasses with thick lessons which led me to assume her eyesight wasn't so good and her cheek bones were slightly too protruding. She was probably a three on a scale of one to ten.

She grimaced in disgust at our 'intimate gestures' and I knew I'd be getting a scolding from the council very soon. Oh well. "I've been told to report that your criminal has been discovered," she announced monotonously. "She will be quieted tonight and you are encouraged to attend, Miss Miku, to watch justice be served to your culprit."

I stiffened and immediately turned to look at Miku. She seemed surprised and a little scared. "I-Is Momma going to be there?" she asked.

"Yes, your mother will be attending."

Miku hesitated and glanced over at me. "I don't know if I want to see that happen..."

I, on the other hand, was brimming with curiosity. "I've never seen Quietus happen with my own eyes before! We'll go together, okay? I want to see what it's like!"

Miku's eyes filled with something similar to an adult's look when their child begins saying they'd like to become an Invalid. "Well... okay then, Rin. Are you sure you want to?"

I nodded enthusiastically. It'd been only eight months since I'd arrived and all I knew was that Quietus banished people into nothingness. I hadn't a clue how they were banished nor where they went afterwards. Now, I'd finally get the answers to my questions!

"Alright. Then we'll all go down to watch." The way she said it made her sound scared and uneasy about the idea, but I couldn't have been happier.

I just didn't know back then. I knew nothing at all.

* * *

"Are you cold?"

Miku shook her head. "It's warm outside, Len. Even sick, I can feel it."

"It cools down a lot at night," Len insisted. "We don't want you to get any worse!"

Miku only rolled her eyes. Secretly I too wished she'd wear a coat, despite it now being the warmer season. Even I had chills- though perhaps that related more to the tension in the air than to temperature.

Everyone around us walked silently, angry expressions pasted onto their faces. Some carried candles to lighten their way while most just watched others to keep on the path. Some wore dark cloaks which I found added to the eerie atmosphere. All looked vengeful and determined. I could only glance around in anticipation.

Neither of my friends had told me what would happen tonight exactly. Maybe they wanted to keep it a surprise for me. It made me impatient though and everyone else seemed to be moving slower than usual to me.

I didn't understand why we had to walk through the woods. Perhaps it was part of a ritual. Len had told me our walk wouldn't last too long, but I didn't mind much anyway. I'd never been out in the woods before. Birds croaked and I could have sworn I heard an owl somewhere. Bugs buzzed around madly and all three of us were constantly swatting away pesky mosquitoes.

"Are we almost there?" I asked.

To my surprise, Len lifted his head and sniffed the air. Miku saw him do so and mimicked his gestures. I found it very odd, but if they both did it, then maybe it was some kind of requirement to the ritual. I lifted my nose up to the air and took a deep breath in myself. All I smelt was mud and trees and traces of the rain that had fallen two days ago. What important thing was there to smell?

"Almost," Miku answered. "You'll know when we get there." They glanced at each other knowingly.

"Why? How? What is it?"

"You'll see." That's all I'd get whenever I asked questions. I'd just have to wait a little while longer.

"When will you be able to leave the medicine wing?" Len asked.

"The doctors say I should be able to leave this week, next week at the latest," Miku replied with a grin. "I'm just going to need a lot of rest."

"Will you be at school?"

"Yeah, probably. I think it's after that Mom will keep me in. I probably won't have much time to play..."

"We'll make it work. Won't we, Rin?" They both stared at me expectantly.

"... I still don't smell anything."

They both sighed and shook their hands. "Trust me," Miku said, "you don't want to."

I glanced back at her and took in her appearance. Her skin had taken back its normal fleshy pink tone and her eyes had regained their cheerful sparkle. She was a lot skinnier now since she'd lost a lot of weight from her sickness, but she seemed healthy enough. It made me happy, but at the same time... I felt a sudden prickly feeling.

I'd felt it a few times before but it had passed too quickly for me to analyze it. Now, it lingered just long enough to register into my memory. For a moment, I'd felt nearly angry. No, maybe 'angry' wasn't the right word. It was more like a bitterness, a dryness. I'd stared at Miku, at her generous beauty, and felt like it wasn't fair, felt upset that she had something I didn't.

For only just a moment, I felt jealous.

I didn't have too much time to think about it before suddenly I was doubled over coughing, clutching my nose. "E-Ew! What's going on?!"

I seemed to be the only one affected by the terrible curse that had been afflicted. All other adults walked on without even changing their expression. Len and Miku winced slightly, but were then back to normal. "What's going on?!" I repeated, feeling my stomach churn at the repulsive smell.

"Just breathe through your mouth," Len instructed.

It smelt like rot. Once we'd had a project where we'd kept a slice of bread aside and left it there for a few weeks. When we'd opened it up again, it was covered in green moss-like fur much like the plants decorating the earth I stood on. It had an unpleasant smell to it as well. To call this _new_scent unpleasant was a definite understatement. This new scent was a million times worse than that of the moldy bread. She felt she would faint before remembering Len's tip and switching to breathing through her mouth.

"It always smells like this," Miku explained. "It's the smell of the quieted." I didn't really know what that meant but nodded like I did. The crowd in front of us stopped walking. We were now caught in the middle of everyone, and I couldn't even see a thing!

An elderly woman nudged us from behind. "Ah, children... Are you the victim, girl?" she asked me. I started to shake my head but was ignored. "Go ahead and make your way to the front so you'll be able to see all of it. After all, the best way to learn a listen is to have it done to you."

I later realized this advice hadn't made much sense- because it wasn't actually us ourselves being quieted, we couldn't learn the lesson by having it done unto us, only by witnessing. And so, things didn't work out quite the way she'd predicted- or at least, it didn't work until much _much_ later.

They ushered us to the front, encouraging the poor victim girl (the pure-bred, at least) to take her revenge. They encouraged cruelty. It sent a small needle of unease down my spine as if somehow, a part of me knew this was wrong, but I didn't bother listening. To me, anything the people around me believed was right had to be so. I soon lost this innocence.

We were in front of a wooden stage. I wondered why it was so deep in the woods but figured it was a stupid question. The stench however strengthened the closer we came to the heart of the lot, the center of the forest, as if there was more further within.

The crowd behind us suddenly went silent. I turned around to see what had happened and saw them all separate in the middle, creating a lane within the crowd. Pushing a ragged woman forward was Lily, one of the three council members. Her long golden hair stood out in the darkness and her blue eyes pierced all who met her gaze. Her face was stone-serious, as usual, yet there was the smallest spark of rage when she shoved the other forward again.

The Invalid fell to her knees. Long knotted hair hung drily around her face (Invalids didn't have the same bathrooms as Pure-breds and therefore didn't clean themselves as often) and her pale skin was scarred red from whip lashes. Horrified, I took in the absence of seven fingers, bloody stumps were long digits must have once been. Every time her hands brushed her sides, long streaks of red were painted onto her shirt (if it could even be called a shirt).

Everyone glared at this woman, but beneath her disgusting appearance, I still saw a gleam of hatred in her eyes, a final sign of rebellion. It both scared and intrigued the six-year-old me.

Lily shoved her up the stairs to the raised platform and she stumbled, fell to her knees. The anger that sparked in her eyes surprised me, but the way she swung one arm backwards shocked everyone. People began yelling, advancing closer, swearing at her, and she only smirked at them like it was nothing.

"Did she just try to hit a Council member?!" Miku gasped. Even Len seemed surprised.

"SILENCE!" Everyone's shouting was reduced to angry muttering at the command of the great Council woman. Lily strode forward to the front of the stage as black-dressed guards forced the Invalid into cuffs and chained her to a t-shaped structure of wood. The Invalid struggled but eventually gave up and let them chain her, seeing as she wasn't getting away no matter her efforts.

"This disgusting, pathetic Invalid," Lily sneered, "attempted to quiet one of our children. While it has taken some time, we were both able to revive the child and pinpoint the criminal." I glanced over at Miku. She seemed nervous as they talked about her. She would be turning nine in August and I didn't know how she felt being referred to as a child (though she was what she was), but she didn't seem to really notice. She stared at her would-be killer with a fear none could replicate. I felt sorry for her, but couldn't understand. This woman was in chains and beat. There wasn't any way for her to attack Miku again. So why was my friend so terrified of this Invalid?

"Guess what?" Lily leaned down in front of the arrested woman. "You **failed**. This child had a purity like none other, and one cannot kill purity! All you've done is gotten yourself into this situation and ridden us of another sour apple. How does that make you feel?" Lily grinned sadistically. "Doesn't that make you angry? Doesn't that make you feel terrible inside, knowing you're minutes away from death?"

"Death?!" Len brought a finger to his lips to shush me and a few adults glanced my way in sympathy. What was it that happened when one was quieted? What would happen now?

"No," the Invalid answered, her smirk growing into a grin. "I can't say I regret a thing. I tried, you know? It doesn't matter that I failed, because I tried!"

Lily seemed disgusted. "What exactly would you have succeeded in by murdering a child?"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh Lily, you're such a hypocrite."

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO CALL HER BY NAME!" Someone yelled.

"Lily," the Invalid emphasized, "you have no right to look at me like I've done something wrong. You murder children all the time, don't you?" The Invalid turned to the crowd, her dry brown hair falling into her face. "Don't you see it?" she asked the crowd. "Don't you see how crazy you all are?! They're tricking you, fooling you! They pretend to take care of you, but in the end, you'll all just be DEAD!"

People began screaming again until Lily gestured to a guard, who took a whip out of nowhere and slapped it against the woman's stomach. "SHUT UP!" Lily yelled at her, but all she did was glare. "For this woman's crime, the Council has decided her name will be banned from any future use. Therefore, no newborn will ever again be named Avanna."

A low murmuring began within the crowd. I cocked my head and stared at the poor bleeding woman pitifully. Avanna… such a pretty name. She seemed like a pretty person too. She was probably a 6 or a 7, thanks to her striking blue eyes, though points had probably been taken off for her freckles.

"You're about to die, now, Avanna," Lily hissed to her. "Perhaps an apology could be offered?"

"I've done nothing worse than any of you." Her eyes suddenly locked onto Miku's and my friend stiffened. "You should have been _dead_."

Her comment sparked outrage and completely drowned out Lily's voice as she tried to silence them. Finally she gave up and barked orders to the guards.

Avanna's hands were already chained to either side of her wooden hold like that of a scarecrow, a strange puppet-like thing I'd seen in a book once. As she watched the black-clothed men with disinterest, they struggled and lifted her wooden post – with Avanna still on it – and carried it further within the woods. The crowd followed. We three stood still.

"You… We don't have to go watch," Len told us. "Momma said we could leave now if we wanted to."

"What are they going to do to her?" I asked, a little alarmed. For whatever reason, I'd decided I liked this woman. My foolish five-year-old mind had already forgotten of her sins and admired her for her confidence, her bravery. For whatever reason, my foolish mind had looked up to her. It didn't last long.

Len hesitated a moment, then began to back up slowly. "We should go," he said quietly, the sound nearly engulfed by the angry shouts of rage.

"No!" I insisted. "I want to go see!"

"I'll go," Miku answered shakily. I finally took a good look at her and realized she's gone into a state of shock. She trembled like a dead leaf in the fall, her face pale and blank. "I'll go back…"

"Come on, Rin." They both walked in direction of our home.

Len waited for me impatiently, but I stood my ground. "No!" I replied, stubbornly crossing my arms and pouting my lips. The sounds were getting further and further away. "I'm going to watch!"

Len seemed torn. Yes, he wanted to safely escort Miku back to the Terra Perfectionis (despite him being two years younger than her), but he also wanted to go with me. Well, I wanted him to go with me, and he more likely just didn't want to disappoint me. It was in his nature. Finally he made his decision. He forced his face into a cold frown. It didn't suit him in the least. "I'm going to bring Miku back," he announced. "You can go, Rin, but you'll be alone there until I come back. So no being scared!"

"Fine," I grumbled. To be honest, the idea of going there alone terrified me, but I wasn't going to seem like a wimp in front of the both of them! "Come back quick then, okay, Len?"

He nodded. "I'll come back as fast as I can."

We both parted our ways after that.

I followed the faint sounds of shouting down a hill and stopped for a moment to plug my nose. The smells got stronger and stronger the further down I went.

"That's it?! That's not bad enough! That's too simple!"

"More! Give her more!"

I struggled down the steep hill and finally reached the large mob. Except… I was at the very back. Adults were far taller than I; I couldn't see a thing. I needed to see what was happening, I **had** to!

"Excuse me!" No one heard me. I squeezed my way between two people and ended up getting squished between them.  
"Move, stupid kid!"  
"I'm sorry!" I cried back at him.

I pushed and shoved as much as everyone else but to no avail; all I ended up doing was tiring myself. Everyone's shouts turned into cheers and I wondered what was going on. I even tried asking one lady, but she couldn't hear me.

I stayed at the back of the crowd, discouraged and fatigued. I'd stay until everyone else cleared out, and then maybe there'd be something to witness. But… what were all those strangely-shaped trees all around? They seemed different from regular trees, with far fewer branches and no leaves to be seen…

Finally, people began to leave. I had to keep to one side as people began their journey back to the main building and I wondered where Len could be. There were still too many people to see anything of interest.

Finally, when only half the beginning amount of people was left, I heard him call my name. "RIN!" He was at the top of that hill, also getting pushed and shoved by people, yet his face was filled with such horror. I wondered what was the matter.

Instead of taking the set path that twisted to the left, he ran right down the front of the hill, where no person stood in his way. "Rin!" He yelled again. He was running so fast, I was afraid he wouldn't be able to stop. In fact, he didn't. He collided into me with so much impact, we both nearly fell to the ground.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"Don't look." It was only then that I noticed he had my face pushed into his chest. All I could see was his shirt.

I tried to push him away. "L-Let go of me, Len!" It wasn't a very comfortable position either; because we were practically the same size, I was halfway bent to my knees, which hurt my legs. He held onto me so tightly, at one point, he was even pulling on my hair to keep me from turning my head. I could feel people's stares on us as they retreated from the area.

"L-Len… Let me go!" Finally I managed to squirm out of his grip. He lunged to grab hold of me but realized it was too late; I'd already seen it.

Her t-shaped structure had been planted into the ground not too far away, but she was no longer there. Instead, she was on a large oak tree.

At first I'd thought she was standing. Her clothes were gone and she seemed to be staring down at the ground, the moonlight emphasizing her nude, damaged skin. Then I saw her stumpy hands up around her neck. The three remaining fingers clutched something that circled her neck, something that stood up vertically. It wasn't until the next gush of wind blew through the woods that I realized.

As her naked body leant over to one side, the rope around her neck caught the light. A thick rope tied her body to that strong oak tree. I gazed down at her bloodied feet and realized that they weren't touching the ground. She was hanging, swinging from that old oak.

I gazed up at her face again and felt a sudden urge to scream. All the pride she'd had, that confident expression she'd worn… Gone. Disappeared. Her pretty blue eyes were opened so wide, it seemed she hadn't any eyelids. Her mouth was ajar in shock, her cheeks empty of any color. She was… gone.

So this was what it meant to be quieted. This was Quietus.

"I shouldn't have let you see this…" Len whispered.

As I glanced around, I realized the strange trees from before were more t-shaped structures with **more** people attached. That was the smell: rotting corpse. I quickly averted my gaze from the decomposing bodies surrounding me and threw up in the grass. My stomach heaved and orange-colored spew flowed out generously.

Len watched me go, nearly in tears himself. "I'm sorry Rin! I'm sorry!"

I forced back my sobbing and struggled to stand. Here we were, two poor children in woods made of the dead, Hansel and Gretel in a forest of hell. Where were our breadcrumbs?

I forced myself to look back up at Avanna. Despite how pathetic she looked now, I still felt the tiniest ounce of respect to her, for something she said confused me and made me feel strange altogether.

"I can't say I regret a thing. I tried, you know? It doesn't matter that I failed, because I tried! Don't you see it? They're tricking you, fooling you!"

I didn't understand. I wouldn't understand for a long time. But I would remember how I felt when I heard those words. I would remember the suspicion that swirled inside of me. I would keep her memory. But I had to be very careful about it.

I gazed again at her face, the face of her death, the expression of contorting pain, the sudden thought that maybe this wasn't such a good idea _after all_.

Such a sharp mind I had, for as I stared, I was filled with a sudden fear.

For even then I realized that with just one mistake, that girl hanging from the tree could very well be me.

* * *

_Wow. My five-year-olds are pretty genius, aren't they? That, or maybe just plain creepy. TTwTT_

**July 6th, 2013; 9:12 PM**

_*awkward cough* So… *smiles* Sorry it's been so long! I promise it wasn't by will! I've been practically DYING over here. I've gone nearly a MONTH without writing! D': OH MY GOODNESS, HOW?! Well, see, long story, um…_

_See, I babysit for this one family of three boys. One is nine years old, one is six or seven, and the youngest is two. Well, see… I brought my mini-netbook thing to work on this chapter about a month ago when babysitting them. I had it in my bag and I was going to work when they were all three put to bed. The bag was on the dining room table. Well, the baby – Isaac – felt kind of bored I guess and decided to pull up a chair to the table to climb up. He's very smart, this child, so I wasn't worried; he does this all the time and is very good at it too. (He once managed to climb onto the counter trying to get a donut. He knew it was up there, but didn't know I'd hidden it from him. I watched him spend all this time and effort getting onto the counter, only to realize they weren't even there. XD) Anyway, I was warming up his milk and he was in the living room. Well, he decided to explore through my backpack._

_I heard a crash and ran into the living room. He'd gotten to my laptop and hung it off the table by its charger, only to let it fall. And… I hadn't realized then, but he actually broke it. While the computer turns on, the battery pack somehow got damaged, so no matter how long I have it on the charger, it doesn't charge. We tried buying a new charger already. *shakes head* It doesn't work._

_It's been nearly a month now and we tried buying a new one, but it doesn't want to install WordPad or Microsoft Word, so… I don't know what to do. I don't have much time on this computer here, so until I get a new laptop- WITH Word –I don't think I'll be able to update anything. Thank goodness I only had about 2,500 words left to this, so I was able to finish it today, but… I'm very sorry to say my updates will be very few this summer. I'll try my best, but… *sigh* I don't know. We'll see, okay?_

_I think next, I will try re-writing Chapter 15 of TGW. The ending kind of sucked. XD_

_I hope you liked this chapter. I mean, it's 13k words! That is 13,184 words! You damn lucky kids._

_I'm going to warn you now, I think the next chapter might be a little more… risky. I'm a little nervous about it. It may be slightly sexual, but… well, it isn't really lemon or lime or anything, just… slightly sexual for an eight-year-old. *awkward cough* I'll probably end up changing it though, but… just in case I don't…_

_Oh, and I've added a little terminology chart underneath here to help you understand some of the new terms used. Because… I really wanted to use awesome secret terms and stuff. Totally cool. XD_

_Alright, I believe that is that. (Sorry this chapter was a little rushed...)  
~Naty17_

* * *

**Puppy Mill Terminology**

_There are quite a few special terms within this story, so I figured I'd give you a small glossary. Not all terms are listed here because some might spoil future chapters (for example, Union is NOT listed). You're welcome!_

Pure-bred: A person whose parents were both born within the Terra Perfectionis.

Outsider: A person who was imported from the world outside the safe haven that is the TP, like Rin. Most are kidnapped and sold to the TP to introduce new blood, etc. They have a mark on their neck to prove their status: a 'dirty' earth, a circle with dark smudges within. After all, the opposite of a perfect world would probably be a dirty one, wouldn't it? ^^

Invalid: Someone who has been reduced to serving Pure-breds. They do all laboring work and chores. They are also the only people (certain exceptions apply) allowed to go Outside, but only if they are sent on errands specifically demanding they make the journey. Invalids are usually either infertile or 'ugly' girls. They are marked by a black ex on their necks. If the Invalid is also an Outsider, the ex will be over the Outsider's emblem.

Quietus: In one word, execution. It is meant to be feared and presented in shame. People who have been quieted have usually committed some great offense, though it actually happens quite often. Also, when someone murders another for whatever reason (like in this chapter), this term also applies.

Loss: When a person dies of natural causes or an accident, it is considered a Loss. This is different from Quietus in the way that it isn't intentional at all.

Deliverance: I don't think you've heard this term mentioned yet, but Deliverance is the intended peaceful death of a person. For example, let's say a person is reaching elder hood (probably around fifty years old at the TP), Deliverance shall be acted onto them to transfer them to Elsewhere, the TP version of Heaven.

Dismissal: When a child is given to the council, it is called Dismissal. You'll find out more about this later, I think… ;)

* * *

**Please Review~!**


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